Anit Thapa, who heads the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), lambasted the BJP on Friday for “abandoning the people” after the BJP dropped sitting Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba from the fray.
Thapa urged BGPM leaders and workers to consolidate support in the hills to prevent the BJP from winning all three hill Assembly seats — Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong.
“The BJP always abandons people whenever its interests are at stake. This is evident from what they did in Darjeeling by replacing their sitting MLA Neeraj Zimba,” Thapa told the media in Kurseong after inaugurating an election office for Amar Lama, the Kurseong BGPM nominee.
“I should not comment on another party’s decision on Neeraj Zimba’s replacement. But considering his dedication and political maturity, I believe he should view this as an opportunity to further his political career and take it as a new challenge,” the BGPM leader added.
Noman Rai, youth president of the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, is the BJP candidate from Darjeeling.
The BGPM has already announced its candidates for the three hill seats.
While inaugurating the election office in Kurseong, Thapa said the BGPM candidates for Kurseong and Kalimpong would file nominations on April 1. The Darjeeling candidate will file the papers on April 2, said Thapa.
He expressed confidence that the BGPM would win all three hill seats.
“Initially, there was pressure because of incumbency, but that has shifted. This time, voters are also considering performance and development projects. We have communicated our achievements effectively through our campaign, and we are confident of winning in the hills,” he said.