Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung received a rousing welcome on his arrival at Darjeeling after more than three-and-half years where he confessed that he had been an “andh bhakt (blind supporter)” of the BJP for the past 12 years before starting his tirade against the saffron party.

Gurung said he only recently realised that the BJP was only “using” him, obliquely citing the innumerable cases slapped against him by the state government.

Gurung has over 100 cases slapped against him and his supporters, which he claimed were now in the process of being withdrawn by the state government.

“We had been an andh bhakt of the BJP, supporter without any condition….this belief was for our people, community, permanent political solution, tribal status but in 12 years they (BJP) gave us nothing,” said Gurung.

The last straw, according to Gurung, was the Centre’s decision to change the tripartite talks agenda from Gorkhaland to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on October 7, allegedly because of pressure from state BJP leaders.

In his speech, the hill leader talked extensively of his conversations with BJP leaders.

“They said they were providing me with security when they had not even deployed a constable for me. They did not even enquire about our well-being,” said Gurung.

The security issue was highlighted as Gurung was on the run from the state government for the past three-and-half years because of various cases following the Gorkhaland violent agitation of 2017.

“The BJP has not just betrayed Bimal Gurung but the entire Gorkha community...the BJP took 12 years of our age,” said Gurung and promised his support to Mamata Banerjee’s party in the 2021 Bengal elections.

Gurung and other speakers of his faction, however, also repeatedly highlighted that they would support any party that takes forward their Gorkhaland demand in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In the same breath Gurung also expressed confidence that Mamata would find “a permanent political solution” for the region and at one point of his speech, Gurung talked about a development council for Terai and the Dooars without going into the specifics.

Apart from BJP, the rest of the tirade was reserved for his rivals, Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa, leaders of the Morcha’s breakaway faction and also Trinamul allies.

From levying allegations of corruption in utilising “Rs 1,700 crore” that the state government gave the GTA last three years to the flawed process of recruiting school teachers, Gurung said hill people did not back Tamang and Thapa as they had “betrayed” them during the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation.

Tamang and Thapa had joined hands with Trinamul in 2017. So did Gurung in October 2000.

Gurung, however, said that he would not blame Mamata for joining hands with Tamang and Thapa as she is running a government.

“I am very happy today on seeing your love and support,” said Gurung and added he had come to “keep the heads (of Gorkhas) high.”

A cavalcade of motorbikes and cars, which was stopped by supporters on various points, escorted Gurung to the hills on Sunday. Many people danced to popular party songs. Some supporters had arranged musicians with traditional instruments to welcome him.

Gurung said that he would be staying in Darjeeling for “10 to 15 days” before starting his focus on Terai and the Dooars. The party has decided to organise another public meeting in Kalimpong on January 7.