Mirik: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha told to resign two party leaders from the post of ward councillors

(Top) Arun Ghisingh, LB Rai

Darjeeling,TT, Dec. 25: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has directed two senior party leaders from Mirik to resign from the post of ward councillors three days after their swearing-in, an indication that the party is keen on nipping intra-outfit rivalry in the bud.

Arun Ghisingh, the vice-president of the Morcha’s Mirik Mahakuma Samiti who had been elected councillor from Ward 2, resigned on Saturday. But two-time chairperson of Mirik municipality and a central committee member, L.B. Rai, has decided to hold a meeting with the residents of his ward before resigning.

“I tendered my resignation on the direction of party president Bimal Gurung. I am not above the party and I will always accept decisions taken by the party,” said Ghisingh

Asked if Gurung had asked him not to contest the election from Ward 2, Ghisingh replied in the negative.

“There was no such instruction that I should not contest the civic elections,” said Ghisingh.

Rai admitted that the party had asked him to step down from his post. “It is true that such a direction had come from the party president. Since the residents have wanted me to contest the elections, it is my duty to tell them about the development before resigning. I am holding a meeting with the residents today,” said Rai. He is expected to resign tomorrow.

Gurung had earlier indicated that he was not happy with the two senior leaders for contesting the civic elections in Mirik. He had said: “Mirik leaders of two communities, Tamang and Rai, are fighting.” Ghisingh is a Tamang while Rai is from the rival community.

The Morcha president’s annoyance lay in the fact that unlike Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, the party candidates could not be elected uncontested in five of the nine Mirik municipality seats.

In a message to senior leaders, Gurung, while addressing party supporters in Darjeeling on November 20, had said: “Even if you win, I will not make you the chairperson.”

“I had earlier told the central committee members that they should not contest the elections but instead give an opportunity to committed party workers. The problem in Mirik cropped up because central committee members were trying to field their own candidates and at the end they could not be made to withdraw from the fray,” he had said.

Of the five who contested against the Morcha candidates in Mirik, three were from the party itself and were later expelled. But they stuck to their stand and contested the elections as Independents.

Both Ghisingh and Rai had to fight the elections. But even after winning with comfortable margins, the two leaders were not considered for the posts of the chairperson or vice-chairperson.

Instead, Gurung appointed two greenhorns Mala Subba and M.K. Zimba as chairperson and vice-chairperson of the municipality. The two leaders were also ignored for the post of chairman-in-council, an indication that the party was not happy with the tug-of-war between the two leaders.

Darjeeling district magistrate Saumitra Mohan said the state election commission would notify when the elections to the vacated seats would be held. “The resignation will have to be forwarded to the election commission, which will again issue a notification on the elections to the wards.”