BJP’s MP from Darjeeling Raju Bista today said that elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was not in his party’s agenda. According to him, the central government could look for “another way” before any such election.

Talking to reporters in Kurseong in Darjeeling, Mr Bista also made it clear that he would “never come” for GTA election campaigning. “The GTA is a stigma to the Gorkha community… I feel that the situation to hold the GTA elections may not come at all, because the central government may take another path even before that,” he said after attending a meeting of the BJP at the Gorkha Jan Pustakalay here.

BJP activists and representatives from different places in Darjeeling district attended the meeting. Asked by reporters about the recent protests and postering against him in Darjeeling by the All India Gorkha Leave (Bharati Tamang faction), Mr Bista said that he knows “only Pratap Khati’s (faction) AIGL.”

“Everyone has the right to speak in a democracy, and they can demand my resignation. But what is their existence and reality, it has become clear in the last elections,” he said. Mr Bista further said that the assurances and promises made by him and other senior BJP leaders will definitely be fulfilled and “I hope we are closer to our goal.”

“The BJP is not in favoir of the GTA elections, but the party will definitely participate in the constitutional municipality and panchayat elections in Darjeeling Hills,” he added.

“Today, I attended the Darjeeling BJP District Karyakarini meeting at Kurseong, along with WB State BJP Joint Secretary (org) Shri Kishore Barman Ji, Darjeeling District BJP President Shri Kalyan Dewan Ji, State BJP Committee Member Shri Manoj Dewan Ji, District Committee Leaders, Morcha Pramukhs, Mandal Presidents, and other BJP leaders from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong regions. We discussed the ongoing Covid situation and steps taken by the central government towards assisting people. We also discussed the problems being faced by people in getting vaccination on time due to the failure of the WB Govt, and steps that can be taken to rectify the situation,” Mr Bista later said in a statement.

“During the interactions, we held detailed deliberations on the issues concerning the people of Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars that our party has committed to in our Election Manifesto (Sankalp Patra) – finding Permanent Political Solution for our region, and the reinclusion of 11 left-out Gorkha communities in the Schedule Tribes list,” he added.