Split in Gorkha Janmukti Morcha may help BJP in Bengal's hill region

 The only thing common in Tamang and Gurung factions is their strong stand against the BJP, which may end up helping the saffron party.

Pramod Giri, HT , Siliguri, 10 FEB, 2021 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee’s efforts to establish peace between her allies, the two rival factions of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), by leaving three assembly seats in the Darjeeling hills for the party has not yielded any result. It is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that stands to gain from the split in GJM, the biggest outfit representing the Gorkhas, feels a section of local leaders.

The GJM factions, led by Bimal Gurung and Binoy Tamang, are allies of the TMC but both groups said they will contest each other even if that leads to a triangular contest with BJP in the fray with some allies.

Till October last year, Gurung, who founded the GJM and was the most popular Gorkha leader, was an ally of the BJP. With his support, the BJP won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat thrice since 2009 and even wrested the Darjeeling assembly seat in the 2019 by-poll, defeating Tamang by more than 46,000 votes.

(Courtesy & source: Hindustan Times- https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/kolkata-news/split-in-gorkha-janmukti-morcha-may-help-bjp-in-bengal-s-hill-region-101615367423255.html)

In sharp contrast, the Darjeeling assembly seat was won by the undivided GJM in 2011 and 2016 although the BJP held the Lok Sabha seat with its support.