Darjeeling (WB), Amid a new political alliance in Darjeeling, the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state is back in focus and the party's electoral fortunes hinge on promises of a permanent political solution to the long-pending issue.
Although a separate Gorkhaland state resonated as a major issue in all elections till 2014, it took a back seat in the 2019 elections. Parties including the indigenous GJM and GNLF stressed development and restoration of democracy in the region.
The last six years have seen many changes in hill politics. GJM, which was once a major force in the region, has now become a much weaker political entity.
The Queen of Hills saw the entry of two new political parties – Ajoy Edwards-led HAMRA Party, which won the Darjeeling municipal elections in 2022, and Anit Thapa's Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), which won in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). achieved.Elections in June 2022.
He focused on providing basic amenities and livelihood. However, as the Lok Sabha elections approach, the issue of permanent political settlement (PPS) in the hills has gained momentum again. The BJP has promised a permanent political solution within the next five years, the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM ), which has switched alliance with TMC, has issued a 'final ultimatum' to the saffron camp, demanding a solution on the hill. problem as a pre-condition for their support in the elections.
BJP MP Raju Bista, who is seeking re-election from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, said that "the process of finding a permanent political solution for the Darjeeling Hills has begun and will be achieved within the next five years"."It is our commitment to find a lasting political solution to the issues of the Darjeeling Hills. We said this in our 2019 manifesto, and talks have already begun with the Union Home Ministry. There will be a solution for the Hills, Terai and Dooars in the next five years. Bista noted that "the solution will be within the scope of the Constitution" but did not specify whether that meant a separate state.
BJP has been winning this seat since 2009 with the support of GJM.GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said that if the BJP fails to fulfill the promise of a permanent political solution, they will not support them in the next term. "For us, a permanent political solution is synonymous with Gorkhaland, a separate state for the Gorkhas," he said. We hope that BJP will keep its promise."
In 2019, Bista won the seat by a margin of over four lakh votes, securing almost 59 per cent of the total votes. After this, the BJP candidate expressed public anger against the alleged atrocities of the TMC government during the 104-day state agitation in 2017.One of the challengers to Bista is Kurseong BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma, who is contesting as an independent while pushing for statehood. He believes mainstream political parties have failed to understand the aspirations of the hill people. Are.
The Darjeeling hills, famous for its tea, tourism and timber industry, have faced violence since the 1980s due to demands for a separate state of 'Gorkhaland'. The most recent movement occurred in 2017, which lasted 10 days and left a trail of destruction.
Since the beginning of the long-running Gorkhaland movement in 1986, the demand for statehood and implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution have been major issues in the hills in several elections.Congress-Left Front-Hamro Party alliance candidate and Bharatiya Gorakh Parishad president and Gorkhaland supporter Munish Tamang accused the BJP of betraying the hill people.
"Unlike the BJP, which has failed to define what their promise of a permanent political solution means, we advocate a political solution involving all stakeholders within the constitutional framework," Tamang said.
Apart from the Gorkhas, other communities living in the region include Lepchas, Sherpas and Bhutias. TMC in alliance with BGPM has fielded former bureaucrat Gopal Lama in hopes of breaking the streak of not winning a seat since the party's inception in 1998. Has fielded from this seat.
“We are confident of winning the seat based on the development work done in the hills by the TMC-led state government and the BGPM-led GTA.For us, development of the hills is the main election issue. BJP won the seat three times but BU failed to fulfill its promises,'' he said.
Although the demand for separation from West Bengal dates back more than a century, the Gorkhaland statehood movement was initiated by GNLF leader Subhash Ghisingh in 1986. The violent movement claimed hundreds of lives, culminating in the collapse of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988. The formation resulted in the formation of the Republic of Congo, which ruled the region with a degree of autonomy until 2011.
In 2011, after the TMC came to power by defeating the Left Front, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was set up with Gurung as its head following a tripartite agreement between the state, the Center and the GJM.However, the peace was short-lived as Gurung led the movement for statehood in 2017 and a 104-day-long strike in 2017, accusing the TMC government of attempting to "erase" the Gorkha identity.Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat Voting will be held on 26th April.
Although a separate Gorkhaland state resonated as a major issue in all elections till 2014, it took a back seat in the 2019 elections. Parties including the indigenous GJM and GNLF stressed development and restoration of democracy in the region.
The last six years have seen many changes in hill politics. GJM, which was once a major force in the region, has now become a much weaker political entity.
The Queen of Hills saw the entry of two new political parties – Ajoy Edwards-led HAMRA Party, which won the Darjeeling municipal elections in 2022, and Anit Thapa's Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), which won in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). achieved.Elections in June 2022.
He focused on providing basic amenities and livelihood. However, as the Lok Sabha elections approach, the issue of permanent political settlement (PPS) in the hills has gained momentum again. The BJP has promised a permanent political solution within the next five years, the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM ), which has switched alliance with TMC, has issued a 'final ultimatum' to the saffron camp, demanding a solution on the hill. problem as a pre-condition for their support in the elections.
BJP MP Raju Bista, who is seeking re-election from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, said that "the process of finding a permanent political solution for the Darjeeling Hills has begun and will be achieved within the next five years"."It is our commitment to find a lasting political solution to the issues of the Darjeeling Hills. We said this in our 2019 manifesto, and talks have already begun with the Union Home Ministry. There will be a solution for the Hills, Terai and Dooars in the next five years. Bista noted that "the solution will be within the scope of the Constitution" but did not specify whether that meant a separate state.
BJP has been winning this seat since 2009 with the support of GJM.GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said that if the BJP fails to fulfill the promise of a permanent political solution, they will not support them in the next term. "For us, a permanent political solution is synonymous with Gorkhaland, a separate state for the Gorkhas," he said. We hope that BJP will keep its promise."
In 2019, Bista won the seat by a margin of over four lakh votes, securing almost 59 per cent of the total votes. After this, the BJP candidate expressed public anger against the alleged atrocities of the TMC government during the 104-day state agitation in 2017.One of the challengers to Bista is Kurseong BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma, who is contesting as an independent while pushing for statehood. He believes mainstream political parties have failed to understand the aspirations of the hill people. Are.
The Darjeeling hills, famous for its tea, tourism and timber industry, have faced violence since the 1980s due to demands for a separate state of 'Gorkhaland'. The most recent movement occurred in 2017, which lasted 10 days and left a trail of destruction.
Since the beginning of the long-running Gorkhaland movement in 1986, the demand for statehood and implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution have been major issues in the hills in several elections.Congress-Left Front-Hamro Party alliance candidate and Bharatiya Gorakh Parishad president and Gorkhaland supporter Munish Tamang accused the BJP of betraying the hill people.
"Unlike the BJP, which has failed to define what their promise of a permanent political solution means, we advocate a political solution involving all stakeholders within the constitutional framework," Tamang said.
Apart from the Gorkhas, other communities living in the region include Lepchas, Sherpas and Bhutias. TMC in alliance with BGPM has fielded former bureaucrat Gopal Lama in hopes of breaking the streak of not winning a seat since the party's inception in 1998. Has fielded from this seat.
“We are confident of winning the seat based on the development work done in the hills by the TMC-led state government and the BGPM-led GTA.For us, development of the hills is the main election issue. BJP won the seat three times but BU failed to fulfill its promises,'' he said.
Although the demand for separation from West Bengal dates back more than a century, the Gorkhaland statehood movement was initiated by GNLF leader Subhash Ghisingh in 1986. The violent movement claimed hundreds of lives, culminating in the collapse of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988. The formation resulted in the formation of the Republic of Congo, which ruled the region with a degree of autonomy until 2011.
In 2011, after the TMC came to power by defeating the Left Front, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was set up with Gurung as its head following a tripartite agreement between the state, the Center and the GJM.However, the peace was short-lived as Gurung led the movement for statehood in 2017 and a 104-day-long strike in 2017, accusing the TMC government of attempting to "erase" the Gorkha identity.Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat Voting will be held on 26th April.
