Bimal Gurung, Ajoy Edwards, B. P. Bajgain meet raises possibility of new front in Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung met Hamro Party President Ajoy Edwards and rebel BJP MLA from Kurseong B.P. Bajgain at Singamari, giving rise to speculation about an alliance

EOI, DARJEELING, MARCH 26, 2024 : As the election day nears, political equations in the hills have started to fall in place with the possibility of a 'third front' emerging to counter the BJP-Gorkha National Liberation Front and the Trinamool Congress-Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha alliances. 

On Tuesday, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung met Hamro Party President Ajoy Edwards and rebel BJP MLA from Kurseong B.P. Bajgain at Singamari, giving rise to speculation about an alliance. 

Edwards has arrived back to the hills from Ladakh after participating in a 48-hour hunger strike in support of the demand for implementing the sixth schedule in the Union Territory, raised by environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk. "For 15 years the BJP duped us. There is no reason now to support the BJP anymore. We have self-respect and will not compromise this time. They (BJP) failed the people of Ladakh. The BJP are not sincere towards us," said Edwards. 

The Hamro Party leader said the hill people would not vote for the BJP and the Trinamool Congress. They wanted an alternative.

"We may have a third front as an alternative for the people to vote for this time. We will make an announcement after a couple of days," said Edwards. The BJP MLA has announced he would contest the election as an independent following the BJP giving sitting M. P. Raju Bista, the ticket from the Darjeeling constituency. 

Bajgain said his decision was in protest against giving the ticket to an outsider. On the contrary, GNLF secretary general and BJP MLA of Darjeeling Neeraj Zimba had also threatened to contest the election as an independent if Bista was denied the ticket. 

The name of former foreign secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla was in contention along with Bista for the prestigious Darjeeling seat. The GJM President said the meeting with Edwards and Bajgain was informal and that the election issue was not discussed in depth. 

"It was a casual meeting on a personal level. We did not have a serious discussion on the election. Our party will hold an all party meeting on March 28 after which we will announce our decision," said Gurung.

The GJM president reasserted that he would support the party which would work for the Gorkhaland demand. 

"In 2020I made it clear that any party that will work for the benefit of our community and Gorkhaland will get my support. My issue and decision remains the same," said Gurung. The Trinamool-BGPM combine has announced the name of former bureaucrat Gopal Lama as their candidate for the electin.