Will prioritise resolving Gorkha issue, withdraw cases against leaders after winning Bengal: Amit Shah
Shah, who could not reach the upper reaches of Lebong in the Darjeeling hills due to adverse weather conditions, addressed the meeting with a recorded video message.
“I am very sorry for not being able to reach you today. But I promise you that I will meet you personally at the public meeting scheduled on April 21 at Kurseong Sukna where I will discuss in detail the development plans we have for the people of Darjeeling,” he said.
“For now, I will say that after forming the government in Bengal, our priority will be to resolve the Gorkha issue as quickly as possible. Once we come to power in the state, we will withdraw all ongoing police cases against Gorkha leaders and workers,” he added.
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The former BJP chief said he has no doubt that the BJP will defeat the TMC in West Bengal after a series of meetings across the state ahead of the election.
The decades-old demand by Nepali-speaking Indians in the Darjeeling hills for a separate state of Gorkhaland has seen violent incidents in the past. Despite the formation of the semi-autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in 2011 to administer the upper reaches of Darjeeling and parts of the foothills, there were violent agitations as late as 2017.
The region has witnessed many changes and transformations in the political partnership between local Gorkha parties such as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and larger players such as the BJP and TMC, where the demand for a separate Gorkhaland has always been at the political centre.
In the upcoming polls, TMC is in a strategic seat-sharing alliance with Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BJPM), a breakaway faction from Bimal Gurung’s GJM. TMC gave up Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong seats to its partner.
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On the other hand, the BJP once again has Gurung’s support, but this time the saffron party is directly contesting the polls in the region.
Darjeeling will vote in the first phase of assembly polls in the state. The second phase of polls will be held on April 23, on April 29, followed by counting on May 4.
