Fissures between the BJP and its ally, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, are becoming increasingly visible at the grassroots, even as Bimal Gurung, the president of the hill party, now seems to be adopting a more conciliatory stance, mindful of the BJP being in power both at the Centre and in the state.

The strains stem largely from a steady flow of supporters to the BJP at a time when the Morcha is attempting to revive its organisational base after the BJP came to power in Bengal.

Sanjeev Lama, the BJP president of Darjeeling (hills), launched a vitriolic attack on Gurung without naming him.

“Some political leaders in the hills probably do not want hill issues to be solved as they fear that their politics might come to an end if the issue is solved,” Lama said on Wednesday.

“Sometimes they talk about the GTR, sometimes he says that Union home minister Amit Shah has asked him to be the guardian ... sometimes they say the ‘chapter is closed’,” said Lama.

For some days, Gurung has been stating that the Centre is looking at setting up a Gorkhaland Territorial Region (GTR) on the lines of the Bodoland Territorial Region in Assam. Gurung had also talked about Shah’s purported statement. Gurung’s wife Asha, who is heading the women’s wing of the party, had said that the chapter with the BJP was “closed” at the grassroots level.

Lama also alleged that hill leaders were talking about regionalism to be in power.

“I think this talk about regionalism by certain leaders is only a medium to get the public on the streets and create unrest so that they can come to power and reap its benefits,” said Lama, clearly hitting out at Gurung, who has been talking on the issue.

Lama also said: “The public knows about everything from 2007. How the GTA was accepted. What were the promises made, what was actually delivered and how tones changed as per convenience.”

Gurung had launched the Gorkhaland agitation in 2007 and promised to deliver Gorkhaland by March 10, 2010, failing which he had repeatedly declared that he would “shoot” himself on his forehead.

Gurung had also joined hands with the BJP and the Trinamool Congress in the last decade.

On Thursday, Gurung, who had in the recent past launched a tirade against the BJP, seemed to mellow down.

“There is no rift. At the lower level, some immature people who do not know much about politics are making some statements, and I do not have anything to say on such comments,” said Gurung.

The Morcha chief has said he has good ties with top BJP leaders like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Bhupendra Yadav.

“This is why the talk of constitutional guarantee (for the proposed new hill body) is coming up. ..I just want justice to be delivered to the people of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the Dooars,” Gurung said on Thursday.

Gurung on Friday left for a tour of the Dooars in the plains.