BGPM welcomes panchayat elections

EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 9, 2023 : The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha party has welcomed the announcement of the panchayat election, to be conducted in the Hills after over two decades and predicted a win.

On Friday, BGPM president, Anit Thapa was in Mungpoo to meet unit leaders and discuss strategies for the panchayat poll. On the sidelines of the party meeting, Thapa said his vision to usher change was taking shape. 

"We have always talked about reviving the Panchayati raj in the hills. We included the issue in our election manifesto and pursued it with the Bengal government. With everyone's effort we will now bear the fruit of our struggle," said the BGPM president. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last year had announced the state would hold panchayat election in the hills. "People are now aware about politics and who they should believe. We have always spoken facts and done practical politics. We are optimistic of a thumping win in the panchayat election," said Thapa. 

The Darjeeling district administration held an all party meeting to appraise and instruct political party representatives about the election process. "Nearly all political parties of the hills attended the meeting. We informed them about the panchayat election process.

We are making all necessary arrangements and preparing for the panchayat election," said Darjeeling district magistrate, S Ponnambalam. The last panchayat election, to that of the gram panchayat, in the hills was held in 2000.

This time the State Election Commission has decided to hold a two tier panchayat election in the hills districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong on July 8.The nomination process for the gram panchayat and panchayat samity starts from June 9 to 15, scrutiny on June 17 while the last date of withdrawal is on June 20. And the model code of conduct has already kicked in since the announcement of the election.

Unlike in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections ,the panchayat election will be held by ballot papers. Counting in the 9 blocks in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration areas of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts will be done block wise. 

Of the total nine blocks, five blocks fall in Darjeeling district while four in Kalimpong Darjeeling has 70 GP and5 PS with 501 constituencies, 598 seats and 3,87,952 voters, while Kalimpong has 42 GP and 4PS with 260 constituencies,281 seats and 1,79,932 voters.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha party said it would participate in the election process but refused to divulge more. "The GTA has provisions for a three tier panchayat election which is our demand. However, we will contest the two tier as our fight is against corruption. 

An official announcement of our plans and strategy will be made by our party's president on Saturday," said the GJM general secretary, Roshan Giri. Hamro Party president Ajoy Edwards also said his party would field candidates in the election.