BGPM rules the roast in panchayatboards, Independents an enigma

EOI, DARJEELING, 12 JULY 2023: In an impressive show in the just concluded panchayat election, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) has managed to form boards in 68 Gram Panchayats and six Panchayat Samities. 

The panchayat election has been held in the hills after a gap of 23 years. The area in the districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration has 112 gram panchayats and nine panchayat samities.

The results show, however, that the dominance of the BGPM is not total in the hills; unlike in the plains of West Bengal where the Trinamool Congress, the electoral ally of BGPM, has managed to dominate the rural poll scene totally. 

In the hills, much would depend on the independents who have put up an impressive performance. There were a lot of Independents in the fray, with hill parties contesting with free symbols. 

There were also dummy candidates put up by some of the political parties. Figures provided by the administration suggest that apart from the BGPM, the Independent candidates have performed well in most seats but it is yet to be ascertained as to how many of them are affiliated or backed by a political outfit. In the 70 gram panchayats in the Darjeeling district the BGPM has managed to form their boards in 38 gram panchayats, with the BJP forming boards in three gram panchayats and the Independent candidates forming boards in 14 gram panchayats. 

The fate of 15 gram panchayats remains undecided with no one being able to prove their majority yet. These have been declared as “hung” for now. 

The gram panchayats where the BJP could form their boards in Darjeeling include Reshep, Ghayabari-II and Chimney-Deorali. According to sources Hamro Party has also been able to win in the Lebong Valley 1 gram panchayat.

It is noteworthy that the BGPM has a major lead over other political parties when it comes to the number of seats they have won in the gram panchayats. Out of the total of 598 seats in the gram panchayats, the BGPM has won 349 while the BJP has only managed to win 59 seats and the Trinmool Congress 5 seats. 

Seats won by Independent candidates as announced by the administration totaled to 185. The list of Independents who have won, as drawn up by the Darjeeling district administration, includes seats won by hill political parties like the Gorkha National Liberation Front, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the Hamro Party and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists; as well as Independents without any political backing. 

There are also some Independent backed by different political outfits, their affiliations still remaining undisclosed. On the other hand, in the 42 gram panchayats in the Kalimpong district, the BGPM has managed to form boards in 30 gram panchayats, the BJP in two gram panchayats,, independent candidates in seven gram panchayats; while the in three gram panchayats the results remain “hung.” 

Like in Darjeeling, seat-wise BGPM has managed to win in the maximum number in Kalimpong too. Out of the 281 gram panchayat seats in Kalimpong, the BGPM has won 168 seats. The BJP has won 29 seats,

Independent candidates in 82 seats and Trinamool Congress one seat. The grampanchayats in which the BJP has won in the Kalimpong district are Lower Ecchey and Tashiding.In the Panchayat Samities, the BGPM has a stronger dominance. In Darjeeling, thefour panchayat samities won by the BGPM are Darjeeling-Pulbazar, Jorebunglow-Sukhiapokhri, Rangli Rangliot and Kurseong.

Official reports show that in Mirik panchayat samiti independent candidates have won, with unofficial reports maintaining that United Gorkha Alliance has won the panchayat samiti. Seat-wise, out of a total of 156 panchayat samiti seats in the Darjeeling district, BGPM has managed to win 96 while the BJP has managed to win 19 seats and Independent candidates have won in 41 seats.

In the Kalimpong district the BGPM has won Kalimpong 1 and Lava panchayat samiti while the Pedong and Gorubathan PS have been won by Independent candidates. 

Seat-wise, out of the 76 panchayat samiti seats in the Kalimpong district, the BGPM has secured 39 seats, the BJP seven and Independents 30 seats. District Magistrate of Darjeeling S.Ponnambalam said on Wednesday the oath-taking ceremony of the elected panchayat representatives would be announced within one day of the date of gazette notification of the results.