Former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia on Thursday, 26 April, launch his political party – ‘Hamro Sikkim’ – at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, two months after quitting Trinamool Congress.
Addressing a press conference, he said he would focus on corruption and unemployment in his home state of Sikkim, reported The Indian Express. ‘Hamro Sikkim’ in Nepali means ‘our Sikkim.’
Speaking to ANI, Bhutia said:
Hamro Sikkim is dedicated to the people of Sikkim. There are a lot of policies that a young generation like us feels aren’t going right. We want to make sure everybody is included in the decision-making process.
According to Times of India, Bhutia had expressed to the TMC leadership in January that he was not keen to join any political party, but he wanted a more significant role to play in Sikkim’s cause. He had contested as a TMC candidate from Darjeeling in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and from the Siliguri Assembly constituency in 2016, but had lost in both cases.
At Hamro Sikkim’s launch, Bhutia said he sensed his lack of allegiance to the TMC, and therefore, felt it unjust on his part to remain committed to the party.
When I contested from Siliguri, there was an outsider tag on me. I played in Bengal for many years, but the tag was always there. My commitment to the TMC was not there. I think it was unfair on my part to be in a party I am not committed to.Bhaichung Bhutia at Hamro Sikkim’s launch
On Wednesday, 25 April, the former footballer had tweeted his decision to announce his “plans for Sikkim.”
According to The Indian Express, speaking at the press conference on Thursday, Bhutia said:
It has taken me 20 years to build a name through football. I promise to the people that I won’t let that go because of politics.
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