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Kolkata, Nov 5 (IANS) Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has called an important all-party meeting on November 9 to discuss a permanent political solution for the hills of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong in the northern region of West Bengal.
Confirming the development on Wednesday, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said the decision to hold the meeting was taken at an organizational meeting of the party on Tuesday night.
Giri said, “Recently, the central government has appointed a negotiator for trilateral talks on a permanent political solution in the hills. An all-party meeting has been called on November 9 to discuss that issue. Our leadership believes that all parties should agree on some key points related to the overall development of the hills. Those aspects will also be discussed in the proposed meeting.”
Last month, the central government had appointed former Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) and former Director General of Border Security Force Pankaj Kumar Singh as interlocutor for trilateral talks aimed at finding a permanent solution to the long-standing Gorkhaland statehood demand.
The proposed separate state would include parts of the Terai and Dooars of northern Bengal as well as the hilly areas of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.
Trinamool Congress and West Bengal government have strongly opposed this move. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to reconsider and cancel the decision of appointing the interlocutor.
Political observers are considering the upcoming all-party meeting as important in the backdrop of the West Bengal Assembly elections to be held next year. The hills have three assembly constituencies – Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.
In the 2021 assembly elections, GJM-backed BJP candidates won from Darjeeling and Kurseong, while Trinamool Congress-backed Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) candidate won from Kalimpong.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s Raju Bista was elected from Darjeeling parliamentary constituency for the second consecutive time.
–IANS
Source/PGH