Floor test goes in favour of BGPM: Hamro Party may approach higher courts for defense.

KalimNews, Kalimpong, 28 December 2022: Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) takes over the Board of Darjeeling Municipality from the reign of Hamro Party. 

During a requisitioned floor test all 12 councillors of Ajay Edward's Hamro Party (HP) and 3 independent councillors (supported by GJM) didnot attend it, while 16 gave their no-confidence vote to the Board of Hamro Party led by Ritesh Portel as chairman. 

14 Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha councillors including the 6 who switched over from HP  and two AITMC councillors voted for no-confidence motion and declared of ousting the current board of HP.  

The floor test was chaired by Dulen Roy SDO of Darjeeling . BGPM proving its majority will be invited to form the board after a week or so. 

Darjeeling municipality Executive Officer, Tapas Kumar Hajra said that the old board now stood dissolved and the new chairman would be selected within seven days.  . 

During a victory programme the BGPM supremo Anit Thapa said that Dipen Thakuri  will be the new chairman of the municipality. 

Meanwhile, since yesterday the Ajay Edwards led Hamro party has called for a month-long protest program from to protest against the attempt to take over the municipality. 

Ajay Edwards called an all-party meeting as part of  the program Hamro Swabhiman. Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri, Prakash Gurung of Nagrik Manch, Binoy Tamang of TMC and other political personalities of the hills were present at the meeting held at Capitol Hall in Darjeeling. 

Hamro Party had won the last Darjeeling Municipality election held in February 2022 by winning 18 out of 32 seats. Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha won eight seats, but after a few months, six councilors of Hamro party joined BGPM, creating a turbulent situation in the municipality. 

With two councilors from Trinamool, now there are 16 councilors in favour of BGPM. In the 32-seat municipality one seat is lying vacant after Amar Lama who won from ward no. 24 resigned to contest in the GTA election. Ajay Edward said that he will approach either High Court or Supreme Court for retaining the board and against the floor test held today.  

Meanwhile, present Board of Darjeeling Municipality is dissolved in the floor test and now controlled by the SDO as Administrator who will call for an election of Chairman and Vice- Chairman probably within 7 days.