K'pong civic board chief 'ready' for no-trust vote

SNS, Kalimpong, 26 November 2017: As the vice-chairman of the Board of Administrators for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, Anit Thapa, claimed support from a majority of the councilors of the Kalimpong Municipality and announced a no-confidence motion, the civic body chairman, Suva Pradhan, said he was ready to face the no-trust vote.

Mr Thapa yesterday claimed that 15 Ward councilors of the civic body had consented to support the Binay Tarnang-Anit Thapa faction of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morchia (GJMM).

Mr Thapa had made a similar claim when visited Kalimpong on 9 November earlier. However, Mr Thapa reached Kalimpong on Friday and held a meeting with the District Magistrate and other officials on Saturday. He also had a meeting with the councillors of the Municipality later in the evening.

After the meeting, Mr Thapa announced that 15 councillors were in their faction and that they will form a new board after 30 November.

We had a meeting with the ward councillors here on 8 November and they and they had agreed to support us, but the same was delayed due to some developments, Mr. Thapa said. 

He added that a vote of confidence will be held after 30 November, along with the formation of a new board.

'The vote of confidence will take place as per the governments procedure and the chairman of the new board will be decided once the vote is over," Mr Thapa said.

On the other hand, councillor Ravi Pradhan claimed that 17 councillors have actually supported the Tamang faction.

"We want development for people's benefit, at the same time we want peace and harmony in Kalimpong and that is the reason we want to work with Binay Tamang," Mr Pradhan said.

On the other hand, the chairman, Suva Pradhan, said he was ready to face the motion. "I was elected the chairman by the same councillors six months ago, and I don't see any reason for the same councillors to come up with an idea of introducing a no-trust vote against me. Moreover, of the councillors who were present in yesterday's meeting with Anit Thapa, two were from the Jan Andolan Party and two were from the TMC, and their parties have not decided on their support till now" he said.

"Just because they were present in the meeting doesn't mean that they support the Binay faction," he added.