Gauging the growing outrage of anti-Bimal Gurung faction in Darjeeling, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has called for a meeting with the faction’s leaders Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa.
Ever since Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) founder Gurung made a dramatic public appearance and joined hands with Banerjee, after spending more than three years on run, Tamang and Thapa’s GJM lobby has taken to streets to publicly demonstrate against the development.
As per a report carried by Bengali portal The Wall, amidst the growing tension in the hills, Banerjee has called for a meeting with Tamang, president of the anti-Gurung side of GJM, and Thapa, chairman of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) on November 3.
However, there has been no official communication either from the West Bengal government or from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership.
After Gurung decided to come out in the open, speculations had heated up about the next political equation in the hills. It is believed that the WB CM might call for a truce between Gurung and Tamang in her meeting.
Meanwhile, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is also set to travel to Darjeeling on Saturday. It will be Dhakhar’s first official assignment after returning from New Delhi where he held an exclusive meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the law and order situation in West Bengal.
On Sunday, the youth wing of Tamang and Thapa’s faction held a huge rally in Darjeeling’s Sonada. The aim of the protest was to send a clear signal to Gurung that his decision to reemerge in mainstream politics was not welcomed.
Amidst the prevailing confusions, the rally of Tamang and Thapa’s supporters was seen as the duo’s show of strength.
Gurung, 56, was leading a part of the GJM which revolted against the state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Meanwhile, another faction of the same party, led by Tamang and Thapa, continued to remain an ally of the ruling TMC.
His relationship with Bengal had administration begun to riffle when it did not pay any heed to GJM’s demand of creating a separate Gorkhaland state.
Gurung was charged with several sections under the Unlawful Activities and Prevention Act (UAPA) after he had eloped. A cat and mouse race to arrest the GJM leader had resulted in the killing of several police officers.
He shocked everyone by emerging in Kolkata during Durga Pujo earlier this month. Not only he joined hands with TMC but launched a scathing attack against BJP. He said that Darjeeling did not get anything despite supporting BJP in the Parliamentary polls for the last 12 years.