Court concludes GTA poll hearing; verdict tomorrow

REZA PRADHAN, SNS, DARJEELING, 21 JUNE 2022 : The Calcutta High Court today concluded hearing on a petition challenging elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and said it would pass judgement in the case on 23 June.

The hearing today was held on a primary petition filed by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), challenging the legality of the GTA, and a secondary petition against holding of the GTA polls and appointment of the Darjeeling district magistrate as the election officer. The state government has scheduled the elections to the semiautonomous body in the Hills for 26 June, while all preparations are being made and political parties are campaigning in full swing for the same.

Following the petition earlier, the high court had advised the West Bengal government to "reconsider" holding the GTA elections until the GTA's constitutionality issue was unsolved. The state government, however, went ahead with its plans and issued a notification for the GTA elections to be held on 26 June and vote counting on 29 June.

"Today, the matter that was heard was not for the constitutional validity of the GTA or its legality, but on the petition against the GTA elections. Our case was presented, and the court has asked the Centre and the state governments to place their points through an affidavit before the court tomorrow. After that, the judgement would be given on the 23rd, when the court will say whether the elections will be held or not," senior spokesperson for the GNLF and Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba said.

According to Mr Zimba, the petition on the legality of the GTA would take some time.

"No protocols have been followed in holding the election. We do not know if the election is being conducted by the State Election Commission or the Election Commission of India. It seems like a department election," he added.

On the other hand, Darjeeling's BJP MP Raju Bista said, 'The supposed elections to the GTA that are being conducted by the Home Department of the West Bengal government are a farce. The GTA itself is an unconstitutional body that does not adhere to any Constitutional provisions, and elections to it are being conducted to derail the ongoing tripartite talks for finding a Permanent Political Solution for our region."

"On 19th of May, the High Court had asked the state government to reconsider the elections. However,  without paying any heed to the same, the WB Govt issued a notification for conducting the GTA elections. This was nothing less than the TMC Govt showing their thumb to the Hon'ble High Court," Mr Bista added.

He further maintained that they had full faith in the judiciary and the judicial system and that he was hopeful that "justice would be done in favour of the people."

Political parties like the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists(CPRM) and the All-India Gorkha League, along with the GNLF and the BJP have not fielded candidates for the elections, even as parties like the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, Hamro Party, Trinamool Congress, CPIM and the Congress are contesting the GTA polls. A total of 277 candidates, including independents, are in the fray.

"Today, amidst a long court proceeding, all the stakeholders shared t heir views on the GTA elections, and we have placed our strongest objections to the GTA and any elections to it. Since, the GTA Constitutionality is a major issue, the Hon'ble Court may take longer to resolve the issue. However, the Hon'ble Court has asked the WB Govt and all parties to file their notes on GTA elections by tomorrow," Mr Bista said.