John Barla, Alipurduar MP and Union minister of state changes tone, fields for Manoj Tigga
Telegraph | 14 March 2024
John Barla, the Alipurduar MP and a Union minister of state, changed his tune on Tuesday and said he would campaign for the party's nominee.
The BJP has fielded Manoj Tigga, Madarihat BJP MLA and the party's chief whip in the Assembly, from Alipurduar. After Tigga's candidature was announced, Barla slammed the nominee and Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
“Manoj Tigga and some other state leaders have conspired against me and given wrong information to the central leadership. It is because of them that I didn’t get the ticket,” Barla had said last week.
Barla refused to talk to Tigga at a railway programme and refused to meet the candidate when reached the MP's residence.
However, after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Siliguri last Saturday, Barla changed his tone.
When Barla reached Alipurduar Junction railway station to attend a programme, he asserted that he would campaign for Tigga.
“Manoj Tigga is my brother. Being a senior, I will campaign for him and ensure that he wins the seat with a margin of three-and-a-half lakh votes. The BJP is a large family and there can be misunderstandings between two brothers,” said Barla.
He also said on Wednesday, he would lay the foundation stone of a super-specialty hospital that would be built by the Centre on railway land in Alipurduar.
“I will put efforts to see that commercial flights are introduced at Hasimara airport,” the MP said.
Sources in the BJP said Barla’s remarks against Tigga, Adhikari and some other state leaders have not gone down well with central leaders of the party.
“He has got a clear message from appropriate quarters. It is clarified to him that such remarks are undesirable ahead of the elections and he should ensure that we retain the Alipurduar seat,” said a party functionary.