Giddeypahar constituency: Anit Thapa set to relinquish GTA Sabhasad seat

Amitava Banerjee | 15 Dec 2022 | Darjeeling: Anit Thapa, Chief Executive, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is all set to relinquish the post of Sabhasad from the Giddeypahar GTA constituency. 

He will retain the Sittong-Latpanchar constituency seat. Incidentally Thapa, the president of Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) had contested the GTA elections from two constituencies, Giddeypahar and Sittong-Latpanchar in June this year. He had won both. Out of 45 seats in the GTA, the BGPM won 27, Hamro Party won 8 seats; TMC won 5 and 5 seats were won by Independents. Three independents from Kalimpong had later joined the BJPM. Recently two Hamro Party Sabhasads also crossed over to BGPM. 

"One cannot retain two seats; hence I have to vacate one. As part of our strategy, I have decided to resign from the Giddeypahar constituency. 

There will be by-election in the Giddeypahar seat. Pemendra Gurung will be the BGPM candidate for the Giddeypahar constituency" declared Thapa addressing a gathering at Gourishankar Tea Estate in Kurseong. Pemendra Gurung, is the President of the BGPM Giddeypahar BGPM constituency unit. 

Political Observers state that as Giddeypahar is a stronghold of the BGPM, chances of victory for the BGPM candidate is very high from this constituency. While Giddeypahar constituency comprises parts of Kurseong town of which Thapa is a resident, Sittong is in the rural belt. 

Thapa had even won the first GTA election in 2012 uncontested. In the 2012 GTA election Roshan Giri, General Secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had won from the Sittong constituency. 

Source & courtesy- Millenium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/giddeypahar-constituency-anit-thapa-set-to-relinquish-gta-sabhasad-seat-502237