Anit Thapa asks Golay to save regional politics

Thapa was referring to the speech by BJP National president, JP Nadda in Sikkim on Thursday where he said the era of regional politics was over and everyone should join the mainstream.

EOI, DARJEELING, APRIL 11, 2024 : Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha President Anit Thapa on Saturday criticized the BJP of creating factions among regional political parties of the hills and urged the voters of Darjeeling hills and Sikkim to safeguard regional politics. 

Apparently, Thapa was referring to the speech by BJP National president, JP Nadda in Sikkim on Thursday where he said the era of regional politics was over and everyone should join the mainstream.

Nadda was in Sikkim to launch the election manifesto of the BJP. Thapa who was in Gorubathan, Kalimpong to campaign for Trinamool Congress candidate Gopal Lama said:"

He (Nadda) has in public said that regional parties should be removed. I request Chief Minister P. S. Golay to save regionalism in Sikkim. I can see you are struggling and that our Gorkha Chief Minister is facing a lot of criticism but I know that the people of Sikkim will save regionalism." 

Thapa said in this year's election, people of Sikkim and Darjeeling hills should vote to save regionalism. "Darjeeling and Sikkim this time should vote for regionalism. We must keep aside our anger and differences. I request everyone that though we have our internal fights and differences we should not allow outside forces to take over our region," Thapa said; while adding that they have to remove “outside forces” from the region.
Thapa who is also the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Chief Executive claimed that this time the fight was to save regionalism while alleging that the BJP was trying to make inroads in the hills by bullying tactics.

"Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung also seems to have a lot of anger towards the BJP going by his recent statement. But there must be some compulsion for him to support the BJP. In his heart he also wants to save regionalism, " Thapa said.

Observers said the stand of Thapa on saving regionalism had been an anomaly as his party BGPM was in alliance with Trinamool Congress and he was campaigning for the Trinamool candidate in Darjeeling on the plank of development. In the national context Trinamool could be called a regional party, they said, though the Trinamool called itself a national party.

In any case, Trinamool could never be called a hill party and would not accept the demand for Gorkhaland. Besides the GJM, the BJP has the support of the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Gorkha Rastriya Nirman Morcha and SUMETI Morcha. Sitting BJP MP m Raju Bista will contest the election for the second time with the promises of creating a separate Gorkhaland state