BJP forgets promises about Gorkhaland after elections, says Anit Thapa

EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 26, 2023 : Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha president Anit Thapa on Monday came down heavily on Darjeeling MP and BJP leader Raju Bista for confusing the public with the promise of a Gorkhaland state. 

Touring Simring Busty, Thapa said the BJP national spokesperson was concealing the truth from the people about the statehood demand and called on the people to oppose the untruths. 

"Before every election the BJP promises statehood. Later, the promise is forgotten. I request the BJP and the Darjeeling MP to come up with new untruths and make Gorkhaland an election plank," he said.

Thapa asked the MP to get written assurances from the BJP high command on the issue of granting a separate state of Gorkhaland. 

 "He (Bista) should first get the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister to give inwriting that Gorkhaland would be given after the BJP winning the panchayat election. I promise if this happens, I will withdraw all my party candidates from contesting the rural polls, "he said.

The BGPM president said being a regional leader with roots in the ground, he could not afford to make false promises to the people.

The BJP M.P., however, was an outsider. "It is easy for Bista to make empty promises because he will go back after five years of his tenure. 

However, we being the son of the soil, we cannot and will not ask for votes based on false promises. I believe in practical and reality politics," Thapa said. Thapa expressed confidence that the BGPM would win the panchayat election. 

He said the United Gorkha Alliance which was an alliance only of political leaders would fail to make inroads. "We have an alliance with the people. But the BJP and its so-called partners are merely an alliance of political leaders," he said.

The BJP has stitched an alliance with the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Hamro Party and the Gorkha Rashtriya  for the panchayat polls in the hills.

A two tier panchayat (gram panchayat and panchayat samity) election will be held in the hills after over two decades on July 8.Thapa said among others his party would prioritize better road connectivity in rural areas as well as employment for the younger population.