In its years of existence, the TMC for the first time managed to get seats in the GTA.
Darjeeling: The Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) managed to bag 26 of the 45 seats of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) got only five seats followed by Hamro Party, which bagged seven seats. Seven Independents also made a cut in the GTA elections.
In its years of existence, the TMC for the first time managed to get seats in the GTA. The Hamro Party, a newly-floated party and the BGPM are also new entrants. The GTA elections are being held after a decade amid a massive change in the change of dynamics in the political scenario of the Hills.
Votes are also being counted for the 22 gram panchayats under the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad in north Bengal and bypolls at the six municipal wards in North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Purulia.
In a tweet after the results, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Bengal voters from north to south show once again their overwhelming preference for our Ma- Mati- Manush candidates, while democracy smiles in the hills too thanks to our resolve. Salute to all!”
The BGPM was floated last year in September by Anit Thapa, a close associate of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Bimal Gurung. The GJM had swept the first and only GTA polls in 2012, winning all the seats. The elections could not be held in 2017 due to violent agitations to demand statehood. A state-appointed administrative body took over the reins of the council.
Anit Thapa is considered to be close to the TMC leadership and was also appointed as the administrator of the GTA by the West Bengal government in an earlier instance.
The voting was held on Sunday and while the BJP boycotted the election, Congress and CPI(M) drew blanks.
