Thapa Throws Direct Challenge to BJP, Demands Gorkhaland Promise in State Election Manifesto

Hill Leaders Press Renewed Gorkhaland Demand : BGPM chief says only a written commitment to divide West Bengal and create Gorkhaland will prove Centre’s intent, dismisses interlocutor move as political strategy

KalimNews, January 28, 2026, Kalimpong:  Political temperatures rose sharply in the Darjeeling hills as Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) president Anit Thapa mounted a direct and unequivocal challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party, declaring that the creation of Gorkhaland by dividing West Bengal must be explicitly included in the BJP’s manifesto for the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly elections if the party is serious about resolving the decades-old demand.

Thapa alleged that the appointment of an interlocutor was part of a calculated political game and a familiar strategy employed by the Centre. He said the outcome of the first interlocutor process initiated in 2009 was never conclusively addressed, yet no one today questions its failure or accountability. According to Thapa, interlocutors are typically appointed during periods of chaos, agitation or political instability, but the hills are currently witnessing democratic functioning and relative peace. He argued that this raised serious questions about the timing and intent behind the move.

Emphasising his challenge, Thapa said that if BJP MP Raju Bista ensured that the party’s state election manifesto clearly stated that Gorkhaland would be formed by dividing West Bengal, he would personally accompany Bista to meet the interlocutor anywhere and at any time. “Let it be written and declared,” Thapa asserted, making it clear that only a formal manifesto commitment would be acceptable, not verbal assurances or symbolic dialogue. He added that the presence of an interlocutor suggested that the government did not sufficiently recognise or empower its own MP on the issue, despite the BJP holding parliamentary representation from the region.

Thapa maintained that if the Centre truly intended to grant Gorkhaland, the issue should be resolved in Parliament rather than through repeated interlocutor exercises. His statement was widely seen as a political gauntlet thrown at the BJP leadership ahead of the state elections, demanding clarity, accountability and a written promise instead of what he termed procedural distractions.

Meanwhile, BGPM continued to strengthen its organisational base, with 22 families from the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and the Indian Gorkha Janmukti Front (IGJF) formally joining the party. The induction programme was held at the BGPM party office in Judge Bazaar, Darjeeling, in the presence of Anit Thapa, who said the growing support reflected public acceptance of the party’s ideology, functioning and political influence in the hills.

In related developments, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) Kalimpong District Committee, led by Sonam Yakha, met interlocutor Pankaj Kumar Singh in Kalimpong, where Singh reportedly gave a positive response. 

Former MLA H.B. Chhetri also met interlocutor Pankaj Kumar Singh before Singh left for Siliguri and later told reporters that he reminded the interlocutor of the bitter experiences Gorkhas had with past interlocutor processes, including one instance where an interlocutor resigned before completing his assignment.

Chhetri said Singh assured him that he would not resign and indicated that the central government might have a concrete plan, adding that he would return to the hills to stay for a week for further consultations. Chhetri said he placed the core demand for statehood before Singh, reiterating that the primary demand remained a separate state carved out of West Bengal, whether named Gorkhaland or otherwise. He added that alternatives such as Union Territory status or even a merger with Sikkim were also conveyed.

Strongly rejecting a statement attributed to Subodh Pakhrin of the Gorkha Rashtriya Congress that the creation of Gorkhaland could incline its people towards Nepal, Chhetri said such views were unacceptable. He concluded by stating that if the BJP-led government showed political will and genuinely listened to the demands of the hills, the current dialogue could be decisive. However, he cautioned that if the interlocutor exercise turned out to be merely a pre-election political gimmick, the government’s true motive would stand exposed, while adding that engaging in dialogue remained a responsible step to demonstrate the seriousness of the Gorkhaland demand.