Polls in Darjeeling after GTA formation: CM ‎

KOLKATA : There was a gentle air of disagreement between Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha — the two reciprocally signatories of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill. Banerjee asserts that elections would soon be held for the setting up of the new Hill council and the GJM leadership refusing to go into the polls before inclusion of the additional area from the Dooars and the Terrai into the GTA. The GTA Bill got presidential assent barely a few days ago. The GTA agreement is already in place and has got the presidential assent. So the elections will be held accordingly,” the Chief Minister said drawing instant rebuttal from senior GJM leadership that said there could be no elections to the Council without the added area being included into the GTA.

Senior GJM leader Roshan Giri said it is not possible for us to go to the elections without getting the areas from the Dooars and Terrai adding the GTA could work as a nominated council till the final area is demarcated. The GJM has asked for 400 moujas from the plains of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling district to be included in the GTA and a high-powered committee led by retired Justice Shyamal Sen is conducting a feasibility study. The team is already into a 45 days’ extension and the GJM wants an interim measure till it comes out with a suggestion and a final area is demarcated. The Bengalis, Kamptapuris and the Adivasis have however rejected the idea of ceding any part of the Plains to the Hill council.