Defections threaten majority of Hamro Party in Darjeeling Municipality

EOI | DARJEELING | NOVEMBER 24, 2022:  The one year old Hamro Party that had surprised political pundits in the hills by winning the Darjeeling Municipality election in its first outing and then emerging the primary opposition in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is now crippled by mass defection and may lose its majority in the civic body.

On Thursday, five HP Municipality councillors left the party and joined the Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajantantrik Morcha in a joining programme organized in the Kurseong sub-division. The defectors were: Bishnu Malla from Ward 7, Dipen Thakuri from Ward 2, Sitam Lama from Ward 19, Ganesh Pradhan from Ward 4 and Saran Chettri from Ward 13. 

Ward 8 councillor Dorjee Sherpa is also in the queue and is expected to cross-over, although he did not attend the joining programme in Kurseong. HP president Ajoy Edwards alleged the “unholy nexus” between Trinmool Congress-led West Bengal Government and the BGPM would destroy the peace and stability of the hills.

“He (Thapa) is an agent of Bengal. After so many years, peace and stability had returned and voice of democracy was becoming robust. But, the State Government is now allowing undemocratic forces to indulge in horse-trading. Does the state government want to destabilize the hills after preaching peace and stability,” he asked.

A month ago, two senior HP Sabhasads including the party vice-president had defected to the BGPM. Blaming the BGPM of using money power and the lure of official post, Edwards said it was unfortunate but expressed optimism about holding on to the Darjeeling civic body. “We have lost five councillors. However, we have been assured of support by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that has three councillors,” he said.

In the municipality election held in March 2022, the HP won 18 seats, the BGPM nine, the GJM three and the Trinamool Congress two, comprising the 32 wards in the civic body. One BGPM councillor had subsequently resigned to unsuccessfully contest the GTA election, leaving the party with eight councillors. Now with five leaving the party, the HP is left with 13 councillors, while the BGPM total has gone up 13.

Interestingly, the Trinamool Congress has decided to extend outside support to the BGPM, and as claimed by Edwards, the GJM will support his party. Hence the total for the BGPM is 16, if the sixth HP councillor in line to cross-over is included and for the HP, it will be 15 councillors. Thapa said the HP councillors were not satisfied with their party leadership that confined its focus on the social media instead of working at the ground level. 

“They (defecting opposition leaders) have started to see the reality and are disillusioned with their party higher-ups. This is just the beginning as more will follow suit and join our party, soon,” he said. The BGPM president also said that the policy of Edwards of publicly heaping allegations on his party leaders was another factor for the defections.   

“He (Edwards) alleges that I am buying his party leaders. But this is in fact character assassination of his leaders which shows them in bad light among the public. Our party, however, believes in fixing what is wrong instead of levelling unverified charges,” said Thapa.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Shanta Chhetri, a senior Trinamool leader, said her party councillors would extend support to the BGPM in the civic body. “We have allied with the BGPM in the elections. The BGPM is working and cooperating with the State Government. Hence, our councillors have decided to support the BGPM as there is a hung board in the Darjeeling civic body,” she said