Will call for GTA polls to be held soon: GJM

With the tenure of current officeholders of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration due to end on March 31, 2019, the Binay Tamang faction of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) said it will call for elections to be held as soon as possible. GJM leaders will hold meetings with party members on January 3 and 4 to discuss how to go about the elections. There are 46 seats under the GTA.

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“We haven’t received any indication from the state government that elections will be held. But we are completely prepared — we have been working towards it over the past year and have consolidated our support base. We are confident of winning all the seats. We will be putting up a demand before the state government to hold elections as soon as possible after our consultation (with party members) is complete,” said GJM vice-president Anit Thapa.

GJM sources said the vacuum created by the GJM splitting — in addition to helping Trinamool Congress get a foothold in the Hills — has helped Congress make some inroads as well. Sources further said Congress leaders have been visiting the region and speaking to Gorkha leaders from various parties.

Explained

GTA elections soon could favour Tamang faction

With the situation in Darjeeling stabilised post the shutdown over the demand for Gorkhaland, the time is favourable for the Tamang faction of GJM to contest the GTA election. Many leaders of the Bimal Gurung faction continue to be on the run, with a chargesheet filed against them, and are not physically present in the Hills. Anti-BJP sentiment has also prevailed as the Centre did not intervene in the demand for Gorkhaland, which is likely to affect GTA elections as well as 2019 Lok Sabha polls, said a political analyst. With GNLF saying it will not contest GTA polls, the Tamang faction is poised to gain a clear majority, added the analyst. 

 

 

Thapa said the GJM has already collectively decided that no support will be given to the BJP. “Whatever the circumstances, we will not support BJP. They have done nothing for us,” he said. However, while the Tamang faction of GJM is pushing for elections, rival Gorkha party GNLF is opposed to it. So opposed that it will resort to legal action in case elections are declared, said GNLF spokesperson Neeraj Zimba.

“We have always opposed GTA and have a case against being heard in the Supreme Court which we had filed in 2012. We have always wanted the Sixth Schedule instead. So if there are elections declared for GTA, we will go to Calcutta High Court and even the Supreme Court if necessary. The GJM is pushing for these elections now, but during the agitation, Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri, the two signatories of the agreement, had called for the dissolution of GTA. Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa had publicly burnt copies of the GTA agreement. Opposition to the GTA was one of the main reasons behind the 2017 agitation… we know that a separate Gorkhaland is no longer feasible. But we don’t want the GTA. We want a long-term political, constitutional solution to the Gorkha issue,” said the GNLF leader.

Zimba went on to add that some administrative structure would have to be put in place until a long-term solution is found. “Legally, I don’t think the administrators (GTA) can be given another extension, so let’s see what happens. The GNLF may not fight GTA elections if they are declared, since we are opposed to GTA in principle, but that doesn’t mean we will let GJM fight uncontested and win. We will figure out an alternative,” he said.

https://indianexpress.com