Kolkata, Dec 27 (IANS) Speculations over fresh political equations in Darjeeling Hills of north Bengal began swirling on Tuesday after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s Bimal Gurung, Hamro Party’s Ajay Edwards and Trinamool Congress hill leader, Binoy Tamang were witnessed sharing the same dais at a public rally in Darjeeling town.
Although in his initial days Tamang was close confidant of Bimal Gurung in GJM, later they parted ways and Tamang joined the Trinamool. On the other hand, Gurung, who once had the last word in the hills, is currently sidelined in hill politics and currently making a desperate comeback attempt.
On the other hand, Edwards and his newly-formed Hamro Party shocked all by capturing the Darjeeling Municipality in the polls in February this year. However, within ten months from then, his party is all set to lose control over the board, as six Hamro Party councillors have shifted camp to the opposition alliance of Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and the Trinamool.
In such a situation, the show of unity by Gurung, Tamang, and Edwards at the public rally in the hills on Tuesday has led to speculations on two counts – the first being Tamang’s return to GJM and the second is a fresh political equation with GJM and Hamro Party on the same platform. Incidentally, on Tuesday all these of them spoke on the same lines that establishing democracy and sound administration in the hills are their prime target.
On the no-confidence motion against the current Hamro Party controlled board in Darjeeling Municipality, Tamang said that he has already raised a demand within the party that two Trinamool councillors should refrain from voting. “If they do not, I will resign from the party and I have informed this to the party high command,” he said.
Gurung said that currently there is no democracy in the hills and hence they have united to restore it.
That Edwards and Gurung were coming closer to each other became evident for the first time on December 11, when Edwards’ attended a GJM-convened seminar on the future prospects of separate Gorkhaland state in New Delhi.
–IANS
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