Amid reports and speculations earlier, Jana Andolan Party (JAP) president Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri has said that he would not join Anit Thapa’s new political party, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), but that he would extend his “moral support” if the party works well in the interest of the Gorkha people in the future.

“Why should I join his political party? I can join a political party, which is better than my political party and its ideology and even political agenda,” Dr Chettri, who is also the former MLA from Kalimpong, said, adding, “When no one could have challenged Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) president Bimal Gurung, I quit his party then. I struggled a lot for the approval of my party from the Election Commission and contested the elections. So there is no question of me joining any other party and I will live as the founder president of JAP.”

On his top leader Amar Lama joining the BGPM recently, Mr Chettri said that Mr Lama informed of his decision to him officially and stepped down. “I agreed to his decision as there is no political activity of my party at present. As he wants to work politically in association with other political parties, I cannot discourage him,” Dr Chettri said.

“I wish to clear another centre of discussion. I did not meet Anit Thapa. He came to meet me and requested me to join his party as I met SP Sharma, who had staged a hunger strike, and returned to a hotel in Darjeeling,” he added.

“It is very difficult to predict the fate of Anit Thapa’s political party right now. It is true that the image of Thapa and his party was negative, but it is gradually recovering its position.

Political observers will keep a close eye on how many Hill leaders as well as eminent personalities will join the BGPM though I have come to know Ajoy Edwards will also float his new party,” Dr Chettri said, adding, “The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) has suffered a blow after Edwards divulged the party’s secrets, while on the other hand, Anit can pose a serious threat to Bimal.”

“Bimal Gurung has been claimed that he was the guardian of the Hills. How can he claim himself to be the guardian? I think a guardian does not flee his area by ignoring the people in crisis. Gurung is simply recovering his political position after returning home,” Dr Chettri said.