State govt bypasses Binay faction for GTA

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 11 May 21, Darjeeling: The state government has decided to continue with an IAS officer as the administrator of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) until further orders, in a setback for the Binay Tamang camp of the Gorkha Jamnukti Morcha.

This decision comes despite this Morcha faction winning the Kalimpong Assembly seat, its best electoral performance since its birth in 2017.

The party or faction in control of GTA is seen as the most powerful in the hills.

Before the Assembly polls, the Binay faction was in control of the GTA. On March 28, Surendra Gupta, principal secretary of the GTA, became the administrator of the hill body, replacing Anit Thapa, the state-nominated chairman of the board of administrators of the hill body, citing the model code of conduct. When the code was lifted on May 3, it was widely expected that Thapa, also the general secretary of the Binay faction, would be reinstated.

Sources, however, said that the home and bill affairs department issued a notification directing Gupta to continue as administrator until further orders. "The notification is dated May 3, 2021, but was circulated to the GTA only today (Monday)," said a source.

Before this, the state government has nominated the Binay camp to head the hill body since September 2017 when he formed a new faction opposing Bimal Gurung.

Many believe the state's decision to keep an apolitical head of the GTA is a fallout of the new political contours.

On October 21 last year, Bimal dumped the BJP to become an ally of Trinamul, like the Binay faction, but both factions stayed rivals.

On the latest decision, apolitical observer of the hills said: "The government probably does not want to be seen as siding with any of the two Morcha factions and is probably looking at holding the GTA elections as early as possible so that the power struggle is settled through adult franchise."

Nevertheless, the Binay camp can feel let down, he added. "The Binay camp had rebelled against Bimal (in the aftermath of the Gorkhaland agitations in 2017) and this time also won a seat this time."

Thapa was not available for comment. 

(Courtesy & source: The Telegraph)