A new bloc was formed in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Tuesday, with 20 Sabha members cutting across political lines coming together.
“A high-level meeting comprising 20 elected Sabha members of GTA was convened today to engage in extensive deliberations regarding the current political situation of Darjeeling hills, alongside the severe administrative and constitutional crisis gripping the GTA,” a press statement issued by the group stated. It added that five other GTA Sabha members were also with this new bloc.
The meeting was attended by members of the GTA Sabha such as Binay Tamang, Independent; Ajoy Edwards, chief convener of the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF); as well as other leaders who have purportedly resigned from Anit Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and the Trinamool Congress.
Thapa recently announced his resignation as the chief executive of the GTA. It is not clear whether governor R.N. Ravi has received his written resignation.
Following Thapa’s decision, the deputy chief executive of GTA, the chairman of GTA Sabha and 13 other Sabha members had also announced their resignation. In all, 16 of the 43 elected GTA Sabha members have announced their resignation from the hill body.
In the absence of the GTA chief executive and deputy chief executive, it is also not yet clear whether the resignations of GTA Sabha members are technically accepted, as the resignations have to be addressed to the chief executive.
Against this backdrop, the meeting of the 20 Sabha members signals a new dimension in hill politics.
On social media, Edwards stressed their move was aimed at ensuring that corruption charges against the GTA were not diluted. “Let us be absolutely clear; we are not staying in the GTA to replace Anit Thapa or capture the chair,” stated Edwards.
Edwards said that GTA Sabha must pass a resolution acknowledging that the GTA had failed and demand a stronger constitutional arrangement and an impartial investigation into corruption and financial irregularities.
“We have sufficient numbers inside the GTA to ensure that these demands are formally raised and that the people are not denied justice. This is why we must remain in the GTA for now,” stated Edwards.
The bloc decided to apprise the state government about Tuesday’s meeting.
The group stated they were consulting legal experts to gain clarity and “establish concrete future measures regarding the prevailing complex deadlock".