Neeraj Zimba is the secretary general of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and the MLA from Darjeeling, but the Election Commission of India on Friday delisted his party for failing to contest polls in the past six years.
Zimba, 44, had contested a bypoll in 2019 and the 2021 Assembly elections on the BJP symbol from Darjeeling and won both times, which observers believe perfectly captures the compulsions of hill parties in the present situation. The observers have said most hill parties are aligned with national or pan-Bengal parties, diluting their regional status.
The EC on Friday forwarded a list of 474 delisted parties to state chief electoral officers. The GNLF, which was formed by Subash Ghisingh on April 5, 1980, to espouse the cause of Gorkhaland state, was included in the list.
From Bengal, a total of 12 parties were delisted, and they included the Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP), headquartered in Kadamtala, Siliguri. The KPP was formed to press for the Kamtapur state.
Both the GNLF and the KPP have hobnobbed with the BJP, which is in power at
the Centre.
The order issued by the EC has said that the role of political parties in the electoral process is vital in a democracy and rules state that if a party does not contest elections continuously for six years, it shall be taken off the list of registered parties.
“Consequent upon registration, a political party gets several benefits like entitlement to accept contributions, income tax exemption as well as facility of common symbol, preference over independent candidates on ballot paper, star campaigners etc., during election,” read an order issued by the EC.
In its order delisting the 474 political parties, the EC said: “Whereas, 474 political parties listed at Annexure -A enclosed herewith, have been found to not having contested any election conducted by the Election Commission continuously for six years, since 2019….”
The ECI had granted a hearing to the GNLF on August 29 to explain its stand. There is a provision for aggrieved parties even after the Friday order to appeal before the commission within 30 days of the order.
Zimba told The Telegraph that the GNLF would appeal before the EC to reconsider
the delisting.
The Darjeeling MLA, however, refused to acknowledge the development as a setback.
“For some parties, issues are more important than elections. We will, however, appeal before the commission as the registration of a party is important,” said Zimba.
The GNLF issued a press statement adding that “we wish to reassure our supporters and the public at large that delisting is not a ban”.
“It affects only certain statutory privileges such as common symbols and tax exemptions. It does not erase our history, silence our voice, or prevent us from functioning as a political organisation,” Zimba said in the press statement.
“The GNLF was born out of a people’s movement. No notification can delist the trust of the people or the ideals we represent,” the GNLF added.