Darjeeling MP opposes state GTA election plans : Raju Bista says the semi-autonomous body is against people's aspirations

SNS: DARJEELING, 13 MAY: Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista today opposed the decision of the West Bengal government to conduct elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and said that the semi autonomous body was against the aspirations of the people in the Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars region.

The GTA election is likely to be held next month with the state government already having announced the appointment of Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner as the election authority and Darjeeling district magistrate as the election officer.

"The GTA has been rejected by the people and politicians who signed it in 2017. In announcing elections to the GTA, which had gone on to symbolize corruption, nepotism, suppressing the democratic and constitutional rights of the people, and absolutely failed to meet the aspirations of the people, the West Bengal government has once again exposed their anti - Gorkha stand," Mr Bista said in a press release today.

According to him, reviving a "dead body" like the GTA was an attempt of the Trinamool Congress to deny the people of the region their fundamental right to self-governance.

The Darjeeling MP also alleged "hypocrisy and politics of lies on the part of the TMC, with the Bengal CM, prior  to the 2019 and 2021 elections, maintaining that she would work with the central government for a Permanent Political Solution (PPS)."

"The Central Government has already initiated the  process for PPS and the first round of talks has been completed. Recently, in a public meeting addressed by Home Minister Amit Shah in North Bengal, he had made it clear that GTA was not the solution for this region, and had asked the Bengal CM to attend the tripartite talks in earnest,"Mr Bista said.

"I request all those who are opposed to GTA to come together to protest against this dictatorial move by the West Bengal government. To save the present and the future of our people and our region, we will all have to speak with one voice against the GTA," he added.

On the other hand, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha  today met the Darjeeling district magistrate and demanded that the GTA elections be held only after their "draft proposal" on the same submitted to the CM recently is considered.

The Morcha had recently submitted a "memorandum of proposal" to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, where the party has asked for complete implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding of the GTA before GTA elections were held.

The party has maintained that "whole-hearted implementation" of the MoU would set the "ball rolling for a political solution."

According to Morcha youth leader Noman Rai, they want discussions to be held on the draft proposal submitted by their party to the CM before GTA elections are held.

Also opposing the GTA elections is the Gorkha National Liberation Front.