No Darjeeling–Sikkim merger proposed, Article 371F permanent: MP Raju Bista
At his first organisational meeting in Sikkim, Raju Bista said the BJP would uphold Article 371F and respect the state's political space. He said his focus now was on local issues, booth-level work and wider public outreach.
- Oct 05, 2026,
- Updated Oct 05, 2026, 6:11 PM IST
- Bista began his first organisational engagement in Sikkim at Singtam
- He thanked central leaders and praised Dilip Jaiswal's role in organisation-building
- His immediate priority is understanding local issues and improving state coordination
Darjeeling MP and BJP national spokesperson Raju Bista, who recently took charge as the party’s state in-charge for Sikkim, said on Monday that the BJP would respect and uphold Article 371F of the Constitution, which provides special protections for the state.
Addressing BJP workers at an organisational meeting in Singtam, Bista described Article 371F as a “permanent provision” and said the party would continue to uphold it.
Bista also drew a distinction between the political trajectories of Sikkim and Darjeeling, despite their shared history.
“Sikkim and Darjeeling share a history, but their present and future are different. We will stand side by side and support each other, but we will not infringe upon each other’s political space,” he said, according to a statement issued by his office.
The meeting marked Bista’s first organisational engagement in Sikkim after being appointed the BJP’s state in-charge. He thanked the party’s central leadership for assigning him the responsibility and acknowledged the contributions of outgoing state in-charge Dilip Jaiswal in building the organisation.
Bista said his immediate priority would be to understand local issues and strengthen coordination within the state unit. He called for greater focus on strengthening the party from the booth level and expanding public outreach through the BJP’s Seva Setu Abhiyan.
He said Sikkim’s cultural diversity, ecological sensitivity and economic potential required focused attention, while pointing to developments in connectivity, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, healthcare and education under the Narendra Modi government.
Bista said he would travel across the state to interact with party workers and understand issues at the local level. He also said he would work closely with the state leadership to strengthen the BJP’s organisational presence in Sikkim.
He said the party’s organisational work in the state would be guided by the principle of public service under BJP national president Nitin Nabin.
