Emphasis on hill development in BJP manifesto stumps Darjeeling leaders

Committee in offing after LS poll to take PPS forward, says Raju Bista 

EOI, DARJEELING, APRIL 14, 2024  :  The omission of a promise to meet the political demands and aspirations of the people of the Darjeeling hills in the election manifesto of the BJP and instead a commitment to work in tandem with the State Governments and the local bodies to develop the hill region has left the political parties in the hills in a state of confusion.

It may be mentioned that promises made in the previous BJP manifesto like Gorkhaland and a permanent political solution for the problems of the hills could not be fulfilled in the past.

Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha President and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration President  Anit Thapa who himself is supporting Trinamool Congress candidate Gopal Lama on the plank of development for the hills said now there was no need to support the BJP candidate as his candidate Gopal Lama had the same stand on the need for development. 

“It is surprising that not a single issue of the Gorkhas has found a mention in the manifesto besides the mention of development,” Thapa said. 

“This time we must not vote blindly for Gorkhaland but use logic and cast our valuable votes.”

Thapa said the BJP manifesto clearly highlighted the need for  the development of the hills. “The BJP manifesto states that it will work in tandem with the State Governments and the local bodies to develop the hill regions. We have been saying the same thing all these years, yet we are castigated for not speaking about Gorkhaland.”

Hamro Party leader Ajoy Edwards wondered on what basis the regional parties supporting the BJP, like the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Gorkha National Liberation Front would now seek votes for the BJP candidate.
Kurseong MLA and rebel BJP B. P. Bajgain who is contesting as independent said his stand had now been vindicated. “There is no PPS or ST status. What will the BJP give us this time,” he asked. “I have always said that the BJP only speaks lies but today they have spoken the truth in their manifesto. The BJP does not care about the Gorkhas.” 

Defending the manifesto, BJP candidate and sitting M.P. Raju Bista said the present manifesto was different from the previous ones in that no list of promises had featured in it. “It was made keeping in mind the vision of Vikshit Bharat 2047,” he said. 

He said, however, that the BJP was close to a solution for the issues of the Gorkha community and that the Gorkhaland demand would be fulfilled in the coming five years. 

“Work is in progress. I promise that we will achieve Gorkhaland within the next five years, if not earlier. Our Prime Minister has given his words. It is my responsibility to get ST status and PPS which I will fulfill and then leave politics,” Bista said.

He said a committee would be formed after the Lok Sabha election comprising political leaders, intellectuals and constitutional experts to take forward the issue of PPS. He said Union Home Minister Amit Shah and U.P Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would visit the hill region to campaign for him