Kolkata: Former Indian footballer-turned-politician Bhaichung Bhutia who had recently quit the ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal said that he has resigned to build his “own identity”. Bhutia also alleged that he was considered an outsider within the party because of his Sikkimese origin.
Bhutia maintained that his celebrity status was turning out to become a hurdle for his political career with TMC in West Bengal.
Bhaichung, who launched his own political party, ‘Hamro Sikkim Party’ in Delhi on Thursday, said, “In TMC, I was more like a celebrity who dropped from the sky rather than a political leader. I am from Sikkim and the outsider tag was becoming a big problem for me, even within the party. It was also the reason why I lost the elections in the hills.”
“The other reason behind my exit from TMC was my involvement and commitment towards sports and my family. I used to travel frequently to Delhi and Mumbai and I was finding it difficult to pay more attention to the party. I felt it would be unfair for me to remain within the TMC,” he added.
Soon after his defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, difference of opinions cropped up between the TMC and Bhutia as he did not support the party's stand on the Gorkhaland issue.
“My new political party in Sikkim will be on track within three weeks. I think I will be able to concentrate more on my party, which will be based in Sikkim. We will fight against black money concentration. We will go for crowd funding and request people for donations so that we could contest the next Assembly elections in Sikkim in 2019 with fight against corruption as our primary agenda,” Bhutia said.
On the Gorkhaland issue, Bhutia said, “Though it is my personal opinion, but I don’t agree with the Bengal government’s stand on the issue. I think people in Darjeeling should look at other options like the UT status.”
Bhaichung revealed that the central theme of his Humro Sikkim Party would be ‘Bhawi Pusta Ko Nirman’ (Party for Next Generation).
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