Terai Morcha backs Binay

Morcha leaders in the Terai address a press conference in Siliguri on Monday. Picture by Passang Yolmo

TT, 28 August 2018, Siliguri: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders in the foothills said on Monday they would stand by party chief Binay Tamang and would not "repeat the mistake" of voting the BJP.

"There is no question of supporting the BJP again as we don't want to be duped again like they did twice with the hill residents in back to back Lok Sabha polls. We have full faith on Binay Tamang and our committee will also work to ensure that around 1.50 lakh Gorkhas, who reside in Siliguri subdivision, do not vote the BJP," said Pratap Lama, the general secretary of the subdivisional unit of the Morcha.

The new committee of the subdivision was formed on Friday. On August 29, the committee members will visit Darjeeling to meet Tamang and discuss the prospective activities that the hill party would take up in the plains.

The formation of the new committee - the old one turned defunct since last year's agitation - is significant and indicates that the Tamang-led Morcha is not ready to leave any option for the BJP to try and consolidate support among the Gorkha population.

"In the hills, it is tough for the BJP to win back support. Morcha leaders and workers are so annoyed with the party that they are not ready to let it try and build bases among the Gorkhas who live in the foothills. This is what seems to be the primary focus of the new committee that has been formed in the sub-division," said an observer.

Prem Kumar Tamang, the president of the new committee, said they would also request Tamang to speak to the state government for infrastructure development in remote areas of the subdivision.