BJP must deliver on promises before 2026 assembly poll, says GNLF

EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 5, 2024 :  A day after helping incumbent Raju Bista retain his seat from the Darjeeling constituency in the Lok Sabha election, the Gorkha National Liberation Front sent on Wednesday a message to the BJP to deliver on its promises before the 2026 assembly election in West Bengal or face the possibility of losing its support. 

Bista defeated his closest rival Gopal Lama of the Trinamool Congress- Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha by over 160,000 votes. 

"I have said earlier that this will be our last support to the BJP. If they betray us again then the result will not be good for the BJP next time," GNLF president Mann Ghisingh said. 

Before the Lok Sabha election, the GNLF, one of the primary alliance partners of the BJP, had found itself in an embarrassing situation; with the BJP reluctant to clarify its stand vis a vis the demand for a Gorkhaland state and not mentioning anything about the Gorkha community of the hills in its election manifesto. 

In its 2019 election manifesto, the BJP had said it was committed to finding a permanent political solution for the hills and granting tribal status to the 11 left-out communities. The commitments have not, however, seen the light of day. "

The BJP has to seriously work from day one to deliver on its commitment made to the Gorkhas. Promises have been made and now its time to deliver. Only promises will weaken the faith and trust of the hill people," Ghisingh said. 

Explaining why he GNLF had kept its trust on the BJP when it had failed to deliver on its promises made since 2009 when it managed to win a seat in West Bengal for the first time from Darjeeling, Ghisingh said it was prudent to put trust and faith on the political party that headed the government at the Centre. 

"The BJP is in the Central government which is highest agency of the country. We have to believe on the BJP to deliver this time around," said Ghisingh. 

"In the last five years and before we have submitted memorandums and appraised the BJP about our aspirations. The BJP and the Centre are fully aware of our demands. Now they must act," he said. 

The GNLF president said he would go to Delhi as one of the partners of the NDA alliance, if he received an invitation f from the BJP for the June 8 swearing-in ceremony.