Anit Thapa seeks votesfor Gopal Lama

The BGPM has fielded former bureaucrat Gopal Lama to contest from the Darjeeling constituency, with the support of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress. 

EOI, DARJEELING, APRIL 18, 2024 :  The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha on Thursday urged people to vote for its candidate and send a message to the BJP that the community would not tolerate betrayal anymore. The BGPM has fielded former bureaucrat Gopal Lama to contest from the Darjeeling constituency, with the support of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress. 

Gopal Lama is, however, contesting with the Trinamool Congress symbol" This is the last chance available to redeem our past mistakes of 15 years. If we vote for the BJP again then we will suffer for a lifetime. Let us all send a message to the BJP that we will not be taken for granted and allow anyone to play with our sentiments," BGPM president Anit Thapa said.

On Thursday, Thapa accompanied Gopal Lama from Kurseong to a street meeting organized by the party's Darjeeling subdivision committee at Chowk Bazar. Terming BJP candidate Raju Bista an outsider, Thapa said after a very long time the hills had got their own son of the soil to represent the community in Parliament.

"For years, we have had the imposition of candidates coming in helicopters and then remaining incognito after the election. This time though we have our own Gorkha candidate which we always wanted," said the BGPM president.

In 2009 the BJP fielded Jaswant Singh, in 2014 S.S Ahluwalia and in2019 Bista, with support from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. This year, besides the GJM, the BJP is being supported by the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Gorkha Rastriya Nirman Morcha and the SUMETI Morcha. Thapa took a dig at GJM President Bimal Gurung for supporting the BJP while questioning the latter's compulsions.

"Before the election they (Gurung and Bista) were at loggerheads and did not miss any opportunity to lambast each other.

Suddenly what transpired and what was the compulsion for Gurung to support the BJP. Rather than selling votes, Gurung should have contested the election for the community's and his self respect, "said Thapa. Following the 2017 statehood agitation, Gurung and several of his aides went into hiding. The BJP refused to come to his rescue when West Bengal squashed the movement with strong-handed measures. Gurung resurfaced in Kolkata in 2020 severing ties with the BJP and pledging support to the Trinamool Congress.

The BGPM leader sought to address the question on the need to field the party's candidate on the Trinamool Congress ticket, asserting it was a strategic move, given that the Darjeeling constituency comprise of voters from the hills and plains of Siliguri.

"We thank the West Bengal Chief Minister for not only providing us with her party flag but also seeking votes for a Gorkha candidate. He (Lama) has worked in the hills and plains for several years and is well respected in both the places," said Thapa. Lama understandably toeing on party lines said it was more prudent to work in cooperation with the State Government to usher development in the region.

"After 2017, the BGPM helped usher peace and stability in the volatile hills. I have worked as a government servant for several years and know the perks of cooperation. We have lost years due to confrontation. Now we must make amends and make Darjeeling a better place," he said.