Will win Darjeeling people's hearts: Thapa

SNS, DARJEELING, 30 JUNE 2022: Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) president Anit Thapa today said that he would win the hearts of the Darjeeling town people with his work.

Celebrating his party's resounding victory in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration elections, Mr Thapa was referring to the less number of votes his party candidates got in the town areas.

In results of the GTA elections declared yesterday, the BGPM won 27 seats, Hamro Party eight, Trinamul Congress five and Independent candidates won five seats in

the 45 seats that went to the polls on 26 June.

Thapa today addressed hundreds of people at Chowrasta here after a rally his party took out to thank the people for winning a majority of the seats in the elections.

 "Peace has been restored in Darjeeling and the BGPM takes responsibility to keep it that way, along with making people happy and prosperous in the coming days. The BGPM did not get votes here (the town area of Darjeeling) but we do not mind. We feel that we have not been able to reach out to people here. I had spent

only 4 to 5 months here, but now I will stay here and try to reach out to everyone and visit your houses and know of your problems," said Thapa.

Mr Thapa's party, which will be forming the GTA Sabha, won mostly in the rural belts, with Hamro Party putting up a good show in the town area here in Darjeeling.

"I did not organise a big celebration today, but we will hold a victory rally when people thank us after seeing our work after five years. This programme today was only to thank the people, along with party cadres, who did not lose faith in me, even though I have lost four times (elections earlier)," he said, while also stressing on the need to work unitedly, even with Sabashads of other parties, for the betterment of the people.

'Today's programme started at Kurseong and ended in Darjeeling with Mr Thapa seen making stoppages at different places on the way, interacting with people. A rally then started from the Darjeeling Railway station, which converted into a small public meeting at Chowrasta.

In his speech, Mr Thapa further emphasised on the point that if the hills are made better, it would automatically lead to the betterment of the people.

"If a village improves, people there will improve. I have no place for such people who think about themselves first and then their village. It should be about their village first and then themselves," he said.

Maintaining that though they have won the GTA polls, there were a lot of challenges ahead, but that people had put their trust in them and they should work to keep it.

Mr Thapa also spoke on the Gorkha land issue, maintaining that after passing it in the GTA Sabha, they would write to the government to open dialogue for it. He also said that the demand for Gorkhaland should, however, not create any disturbance in the hills and affect tea gardens and schools, among other sectors.