Darjeeling politics: Revolt in Trinamool grows over separate Gorkhaland state

Kolkata, Jan 26 (IANS) Internal feud in Trinamool Congress' Darjeeling unit over the issue of separate Gorkhaland state seems to be aggravating with each passing day.

After influential leader in the hills, Binoy Tamang, recently severed all ties with the Trinamool Congress and joined hands with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's (GJM) Bimal Gurung and Hamro Party's Ajay Edwards, the party's Darjeeling district vice-president, Pradeep Pradhan, has turned rebellion.

On Thursday, Pradhan expressed solidarity towards Gurung's renewed demand for a separate Gorkhaland state and also alleged that the affairs in Trinamool are Bengali-centric.

It is learnt that recently, Pradhan also had a separate meeting with Gurung during which he assured his support towards the demand for separate statehood.

Expressing his solidarity, Pradhan also claimed that the affairs in Trinamool Congress are too much 'Nabanna' (state secretariat) and 'Kalighat' (the area where CM Mamata Banerjee lives) centric.

"I always speak on behalf of the people whom I represent. So I am saying that all of us will have to move ahead for a separate Gorkhaland state," Pradhan said.

The development has left the hill district leadership of Trinamool uneasy. According to Trinamool leader from the hills and the party's Rajya Sabha member Santa Chhetri, the matter has been reported to the party high-command, which will take the appropriate decision at an appropriate time.

Pradhan, a hill leader from Kurseong, was initially a close associate of Gurung and was also the vice-president of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

However, after Gurung, once the final word in the hills, went underground, Pradhan joined the Trinamool Congress in August 2016. He was later made the hill district vice-president of the party.

Justifying his renewed support for Gurung and GJM, Pradhan claimed that when the GJM chief was underground, he had an interaction with him in Sikkim.

"There he told me that come what may, he will not move away from his demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. I have realised how true Gurung's political commitment is and hence I have decided to extend my support towards him," Pradhan said.

He also expressed grief over the increasing tendency of giving hill land on lease to outsiders.

"Outsiders are making money by running their businesses in the hills. But the people of the hills are suffering," he said.