– I went in an explosion – VG

On Saturday, the Storting representative Jon Helgheim lost the battle for first place on the Storting’s list in Buskerud Frp. It surprised both him and several of the group.

– It was a heavy day yesterday. But the support people are showing has been overwhelming, Helgheim tells VG.

The Storting representative, Morten Wold, won by 23-17 votes.

VG has tried to contact Wold, but was unsuccessful on Sunday night.

– Well-coordinated district survey

In a leadership position at the same newspaper, political editor Hege Breen Bakken writes that Helgheim was crushed by a well-coordinated district uprising:

“No one had seen it coming, the members are furious and the party leadership is stunned. But in the FRP district, which many have underestimated, they take a nap tonight.”

Bakken explains what has happened behind the scenes, with many of the members of district municipalities such as Hallingdal, Modum, Ringerike, Lier, and Gol so cursed by Drammen’s dominance in the match that they asked Morten Wold to challenge Helgheim.

In the same editorial, he writes that those who were present in the Kongsberg meeting room describe the atmosphere as “very special.” In the thank you speech, Wold is said to have said that “I should have been here and be happy,” but that he was quite sad.

Helgheim himself was surprised by what happened and explains that he has devoted most of his time to politics:

– I have not followed the dirty game that nobody has played particularly well, I have been completely busy doing my job. Someone has taken advantage of it, I went to take a hit.

Gol Frp: I was a bit surprised.

Gol Frp frontman Tor Helge Berg confirms to VG that it was he who suggested Wold, but denies that it is foul play:

– The nominating committee had made a list with too much command of Drammen. If it had been a more district-friendly list, it could have been different.

Berg admits that he is disappointed and regret that Helgheim is not seen at the Storting in the next term:

– An election has been held, it is a democratic process. I thought it would be more 50/50 so I was a bit surprised.

– Do you regret promoting Wold, in hindsight?

– It turned out as it did and the decision was made. We can’t do much with it now. But if the committee had made a list that included all of Buskerud, the situation would have been different. Jon Helgheim is a fantastic politician and does a lot of good, and I think it’s sad that he wasn’t second on the team.

Helgheim declined a second seat because it is highly uncertain whether Buskerud Frp will win two seats in the next election. This is due both to lower opinion polls and because Røyken and Hurum are now part of Asker, not Buskerud.

– He had told them beforehand that he was not a candidate for second place, so they knew he was out if he lost first place. For me, second place would mean working around the clock for a place that I probably won’t get and being out of work the next day or anything. I can’t blame this family or myself.

Helgheim: – I think someone feels cheated.

Helgheim believes that the outcome of the district mobilization likely surprised many and calls it a game:

– I don’t feel like playing that way, if they are not happy that I do my job, I have to respect it and find something else to do. I think some people feel cheated on something they didn’t know the scope of. It’s a shame it wasn’t politics, but someone attacked me because I wasn’t satisfied with the seats below me.

– Could it have been the result that you were too controversial in your views, even in the area of ​​immigration?

– In the game I have had support in unison. Of course, there have been discussions about the nuances, but I feel like I’ve received massive support from the entire party throughout the process, Helgheim says.