West Bengal: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration polls on June 26, counting of votes on June 29

Kolkata: The much-awaited polls of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) will be held on June 26 and the counting of votes will be on June 29.

AR Bardhan, Jalpaiguri Divisional Commissioner on Tuesday made the announcement during the all-party meeting at DM’s office in Darjeeling.

While TMC is claiming that through the polls the democracy will be restored in the hills, BJP and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) are against it.

Bimal Gurung of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) who had written a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a couple of days back requesting for a permanent political solution in the hills threatened of hunger strike if GTA polls are held without any permanent political solutions.

Boycotting the GTA polls, Sandip Lindi, general secretary of GNLF said that the GTA poll is a sub judice matter in Calcutta High Court and also that it will not bring any ‘solution’ to the hills.

BJP Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said that the TMC cannot buy the Gorkhas and the people staying in the hills and also that if needed the BJP will hit the streets opposing the GTA election.

It can be recalled that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had visited the hills in March said that soon she will conduct the GTA election as it is pending for a long time.

Apart from TMC, local hill parties like Hamro Party, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, Jana Andolan Party, and Bharatiya Gorkha Suraksha Parishad are in favour for the immediate GTA polls.