Darjeeling politics: Uncertainty over presence of Anit Thapa’s BGPM in next meeting on permanent political solution

 As initiatives have started for another round of meetings for a permanent political solution in the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong in north West Bengal

SNS | New Delhi | December 22, 2024 : As initiatives have started for another round of meetings for a permanent political solution in the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong in north West Bengal, to be probably held in the next month, there is uncertainty over the presence of Anit Thapa-founded Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) at the talks.

On one hand, the BJP’s two-time Lok Sabha member from Darjeeling Raju Bista, who is acting as a coordinator for arranging the proposed meeting, is against inviting the BGPM for the meeting.

The BGPM has a long-standing political alliance with the ruling Trinamool Congress and is the controlling party of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

The BJP is of the opinion that the GTA cannot be a permanent solution for ending the political crisis in the hills.

Bista was assigned the task of coordinating the proposed tripartite meeting by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent one-day visit to Siliguri in Darjeeling district this week to attend a programme on the occasion of the 61st Raising Day of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

On the other hand, the Trinamool leadership in Darjeeling, including the Siliguri Municipal Corporation Mayor Gautam Deb, contends that no meeting will have any fruitful outcome without the participation of the party controlling the affairs in the GTA. “This will create larger uncertainties towards achieving any permanent political solution,” Deb said.

The Trinamool also has objected to the development of Bista getting the assignment for coordinating the proposed meeting. According to the party, such a meeting should be convened by the Union government, where the other two parties will be the state government and the GTA’s controlling party.

However, the BJP also has its own logic in the matter. According to them, since the BGPM is not a recognised political party as yet, there is no justification for inviting them to the proposed meeting.