Morcha supporters on fast in front of the district magistrate’s office in Darjeeling. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Feb. 24: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has managed to garner majority support in the Darjeeling Municipality after two GNLF councillors today switched allegiance.

Ramesh Chhetri, councillor of Ward 22 told reporters that he was joining the Morcha. “I had some personal problems because of which I could not join the Morcha earlier. Now I can and I am not under any pressure,” he said.

Apart from Chhetri, the councillor of Ward 26, Nirmala Ghalay, also resigned from the GNLF. He has conveyed the message in a letter to Bimal Gurung, the Morcha president.

Deepak Gurung, the president of the GNLF Darjeeling Branch Committee, said he was unaware of the development.

Following today’s development, the Morcha now enjoys a thin majority of 15 councillors against the GNLF’s 13. However, the Morcha will not be able to form the civic board immediately, as the state government is yet to give its opinion on the election that was held to elect a new chairman on February 16.

At that time, 15 councillors elected Pema Yolmo from the GNLF as their chairman. Darjeeling district magistrate Rajesh Pandey had sent a copy of the resolution to the director of local bodies and the principal secretary, municipal affairs, for their opinion as the election was held in the absence of an observer.

“I have not yet received any reply,” said Pandey.

The Morcha leaders, too, are waiting for the government's report.

If the government nullifies the election, the Morcha would be in a position to form the board in Darjeeling but if it is upheld then the party would have to wait for another six months. Under the Bengal Municipality Act, there must be a six-month gap before a no-confidence motion can be moved.

The impasse at the municipality started after incumbent chairman B.B. Dewan died on January 1. An election to the chairman’s post was scheduled for January 14 but could not be held following a Morcha strike.

Although the government had given another month’s time to the board to elect a new chairman, then, too, it could not be held smoothly. The GNLF councillors allegedly sneaked into the municipality late at night, locking the doors from inside to conduct the election on February 16 in the absence of a government appointed observer.