BJP-GJM friendship starts losing warmth in Darjeeling hills

SILIGURI: It seems to be the beginning of a cold phase for the friendship between BJP and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha(GJM) in Darjeeling hills. The development has immense potential to reignite aggressive separate statehood movement in West Bengal hilly area causing BJP’s discomfort.
Practically no specific mention of issues pertaining to Darjeeling hills in proposed Union and Railway budget has made the GJM highly disappointed and thus to think of a new phase of its movement demanding separate statehood for the hills. Undoubtedly, that will put BJP into uncomfortable position as GJM is the closest political friend of BJP in West Bengal.

"We are surprised seeing the budget to remain so silent on hills," said GJM Chief Mr. Bimal Gurung. "We will go to Delhi with our demands," he added. Mr. Gurung has always reiterated- "We have never left our statehood demand. Our main goal is to have Gorkhaland state and we will fight for that." But with this in hand as the main agenda, his decision to remain closer to BJP since 2009 could not yield any visible result towards the goal so far.

Despite near zero presence in the region, BJP won Darjeeling parliamentary seat in 2009 and 2014 with hilarious margin, only because of GJM’s support. But BJP never mentioned anything specific on Gorkhaland issue in its election manifesto.

To justify own position, BJP top leader and MP from Darjeeling Mr. S. S. Ahluwalia said earlier, "In democracy, while it is not unconstitutional for a party to demand for separate state. At the same time, it is not unfair for another part of populace to think in other way."

However, now it is a critical political juncture for both BJP and GJM. A major question has started surfacing in hills is, "What do we gain out of this BJP-GJM friendship?" Without any answer in hand, GJM may go far from BJP now. But that will make it difficult for the party to make own presence felt at national level.

At the same time, BJP is still too far from a position to have solid electorate result without GJM’s support in hilly region. But supporting GJM openly may put its own prospect in the whole state into jeopardy as possibility of any further split in West Bengal is against mass sentiment of entire state except Darjeeling.

Naturally, the whole scenario is indicating towards yet another uncertain phase for Darjeeling," said political observers.