Bhujels claim board promise - GTA Sabha chairman expresses desire to leave Morcha

Vivek Chhetri and Bireswar Banerjee, TT, Aug. 22: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha received another jolt today when the Bhujel community claimed that Mamata Banerjee had promised it a development board at a time GTA Sabha chairman Bhupendra Pradhan expressed his desire to leave the organisation.

Members of the Bhujel Cultural and Welfare Association said the chief minister had assured them a development board when they had gone to the Bagdogra airport to welcome her around 2.45pm today.

The state has already constituted seven development boards and announced three others for different hill communities. The Morcha has always alleged that the development boards are a ploy to "divide and rule" the hills.

"We came to Bagdogra this afternoon. On the airport premises, she (Mamata) came to us and asked whether we had got a board or not. When we told her that we had not received any such board, she said: ' tomadero hoye jabe (Even you will get)," Kumar Khawas, the general secretary of the association, told journalists at the airport.

The Bhujels who belong to the OBC category claim that they number around 50,000 in three hill subdivisions and the plains. They are mainly into farming and work in different plantations in the hills.

Told about the chief minister's purported assurance to the Bhujels, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: "Well, it is for the hill people to realise what is happening around and how the hills are getting divided."

The Bhujels' claim of a promise from the chief minister wouldn't have come at a worse time for the Morcha as it was already on a mission to pacify sulking GTA Sabha chairman Pradhan.

Bhupendra (Pradeep) Pradhan, who represents Phoobshering-Pandam constituency in the GTA, has been disenchanted with the Morcha for a few days and has expressed his desire to leave the party.

Today, Morcha president and GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung, on his return from Tindharia, called on Pradhan at his Naya Bazar residence in Kurseong and held talks for about 45 minutes. Pictures of a smiling Pradhan with Gurung were immediately circulated by the Morcha's media cell.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Pradhan said: "During the meeting, Bimal Gurung told me that we must work together. I, however, told him that I had been hurt by the party's attitude. I come from a political family. I have been in politics for the past 29 years and my children have started asking me what I have contributed to Kurseong. I have not been able to contribute one bit to this place."

"I told him (Gurung) that I did not want to continue in the party and he should groom someone to take my place. I told him that I should be relieved of my post," said Pradhan.

The Morcha vice-president, who was with Gurung right from the days of Prashant Tamang Fan Club, said: "I have always worked with sincerity and dedication and I told him (Gurung) that if he found me to have misused a penny, he could do anything to me."

Pradhan did not confirm whether he would be joining any party immediately.

No Morcha leader was willing to comment on Pradhan's grouse.