Dipen Thakuri of BGPM new chairman of Darjeeling Municipality

 (Vice Chairman Pratibha Tamang Rai, BGPM President Anit Thapa, Chairman Dipen Thakuri)

EOI, DARJEELING, JANUARY 16, 2023: Ward no.4 councillor of Darjeeling Municipality Dipen Thakuri of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha was elected on Monday the new chairman of the civic board.

Earlier, the Hamro Party-run board of Darjeeling Municipality was dissolved following a no-confidence motion. Sixteen councillors of the BGPM had moved the no confidence motion, followed by a floor test which the HP lost.

On Monday, the BGPM formed the new board and elected the chairman, with the HP and its alliance partner the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha refraining from attending the voting procedure.

The oath taking ceremony is scheduled on Tuesday.

"We will move forward with this new responsibility and work for the betterment of Darjeeling. The oathtaking ceremony will be held tomorrow after which I will take charge on Thursday," Dipen Thakuri said. The Darjeeling civic body was being run by the HP after they swept the civic poll that was held last year; winning 18 out of the total of 32 seats while the BGPM won nine seats. 

However, the equation had changed with six councillors from the HP joining the BGPM and demanding a floor test to prove their majority. The BGPM with the alliance of the Trinamool Congress have 16councillors while the HP have 15councillors with the alliance of the GJM. One seat (ward 24) fell vacant after Amar Lama, the BGPM councilor, resigned unsuccessfully to contest the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration election held in June last year. The GJM won three seats and the Trinamool two seats in the civic polls. After welcoming the new chairman at the BGPM party office, BGPM president, Anit Thapa announced the name of Pratibha Tamang Rai as the vice chairman of the civic body. 

HP leader Ajoy Edwards, who was seen with GJM president Bimal Gurung, said: "We will act as a strong opposition. The new board, among other things, should work on regularization of illegal buildings or demolish them. If that is not done, we will go to court." 

He also said that the process of a court case was already going on in the disqualification of three ward councillors in the Darjeeling municipality. He added that they would also ask for an election to be held for ward no 24 which was presently vacant. Bimal Gurung, on the other hand, said that they did not attend the meeting as they did not like to bein a place where they had no importance. He said they would work with HP as a strong opposition