The Opposition camp in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Monday wrote to Pankaj Kumar Singh, the Centre-appointed interlocutor to look into the issues of the region, seeking an immediate audience with him.
Eight GTA Sabha members, including Binay Tamang, former chairman, board of administrators, GTA, and Ajoy Edwards, the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) president, were the signatories of the letter.
These leaders are equidistant from both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, the main two rival parties in Bengal, which underscores the significance of their seeking an appointment with Singh.
Many observers believe that the Centre-appointed interlocutor, to look into issues of Darjeeling, the Dooars and the Terai, could be beneficial for the BJP ahead of the 2026 Bengal Assembly elections.
The signatories of the letter said they were hopeful that “you (Singh) will certainly establish contact with us. Through his letter, we formally request an early, official meeting with you”.
The camp stated that in the June 26, 2022 GTA election, “out of the 45 seats, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) secured 27 seats, Hamro Party secured (the party founded by Edwards) secured 8, the All India Trinamool Congress secured 5 and Independent candidates also won 5 seats.”
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had on November 17 written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the functioning of the interlocutor’s office.
This was the second letter of objection written by Mamata against the appointment of Pankaj Kumar Singh, a former deputy national security adviser, as an “interlocutor and government representative” to look into the issues of the region. Her first letter on the issue dated October 18.
“Kindly refer to my letter dated October 18, 2025 requesting you to reconsider and revoke the appointment of retired IPS officer as the interlocutor for the issues relating to the Gorkhas in Darjeeling hills, which your office had promptly acknowledged and advised Home Minister to look into (copy enclosed),” Mamata had said.
The Telegraph was the only newspaper that had reported that Prime Minister Modi had advised home minister Amit Shah to look into the complaints raised by Mamata on October 18.
Mamata in her second letter on November 17 said that despite the PM’s advice “the Office of the Interlocutor under Ministry of Home Affairs, has, vide Memo dated 10th November 2025, communicated that the office of the interlocutor has already started functioning.”
“This is really shocking,” wrote Mamata and added that the “unilateral and arbitrary action of the Central government” was unconstitutional, without jurisdiction and devoid of legal sanctity.
Observers of hill politics said there was much to read in between the lines in Mamata’s letter.
“Mamata seems to be building a narrative that the BJP led Centre is looking to divide Bengal. This comes at a time when the Bengal Assembly poll bugle has already been blown and the BJP seems to be putting in every effort to overthrow the Mamata government from power,” said the observer.
“In the letter, Mamata has highlighted that ‘The Darjeeling region is an inseparable and integral part of the State of West Bengal’. This is probably to suggest and create a narrative that BJP is trying to divide the state by appointing an interlocutor,” an observer said.
Mamata’s letter also talks about “assault on the autonomy of the state of West
Bengal.”
“The appointment of an interlocutor to deal with issues already governed by a valid State law is a blatant encroachment upon the federal structure of the nation and an assault on the autonomy of the State of West Bengal...,” the chief minister had written.