The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatrantik Morcha (BGPM) has claimed that 25 gram panchayat and two panchayat samiti candidates of the party have won the election uncontested.

However, the Opposition has said that the battle in the hills is not yet over. Opposition parties have also claimed that the BGPM influenced villagers, which led to the former’s candidates being forced to withdraw nominations.

“Till now, a total of 25 gram panchayats and two panchayat samiti members are uncontested in the election,” said Keshav Raj Pokhrel, spokesman, BGPM.

According to Pokhrel the party fielded 854 candidates in the gram panchayats and 230 in panchayat samitis.

“The party has declared two panchayat samiti seats as free zones (where the party is not supporting any candidate) while the party is supporting Independents in 25 gram panchayat seats,” said Pokhrel.

A day is still left for candidates to withdraw their nominations in the hills.

There are 879 gram panchayat seats and 232 panchayat samiti constituencies in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) areas.

On Monday, the BGPM announced Anu Chhetri as the uncontested winner of the Gayabari panchayat samiti seat. Anu is the president of the party women’s wing.

Ajoy Edwards, president of Hamro Party, one of the Opposition parties, said that the BGPM leaders promised to construct a 3km road and bring water connection to a village following which the HP candidate had to withdraw nomination bowing to the villagers’ decision.

“A husband of a female candidate was offered Rs 1 lakh but the husband refused to accept it,” alleged Edwards.

Pokhrel, however, denied that the party was influencing candidates.

On Monday, Mani Lama, Hamro Party councillor of ward 14, Darjeeling municipality, switched over to the BGPM.

So far, 18 councillors of the Hamro Party in Darjeeling municipality have switched over to the BGPM.

Raju Bista, the BJP Darjeeling MP, sounded optimistic about the Opposition alliance of which the BJP is a significant part. “They (the BGPM) may have won a few seats uncontested because of technical mistakes by the Opposition but the battle is yet to start.”

Anit Thapa, the BGPM president, countered that the Opposition could not even find candidates in some seats. “Parties not confident of their performance go in for an alliance,” said Thapa.