In Darjeeling, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) blew the Lok Sabha election bugle powered by the BJP because the saffron camp failed to deliver on its election promises.

The BGPM started a three-day dharna across Darjeeling hills on Monday to highlight the BJP’s failures to find a permanent political solution (PPS) for the region and also grant tribal status to 11 hill communities, as promised by the BJP in its 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto.

The hill party got another reason to buttress the BJP’s “apathy towards Gorkha” claim after the Centre announced on Sunday that the examination for recruitment of constable in the central armed police forces (CAPFs) would be conducted in 13 regional languages, in addition to Hindi and English, but not in Nepali/Gorkha.

Nepali/Gorkha is one of the languages recognized in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

“The Gorkha community is known to be a martial race but the Centre’s decision not to hold this examination in Nepali/Gorkha language is a letdown for Indian Gorkha aspirants,” said an observer.

The Anit Thapa-led BGPM started a sharp campaign against the BJP, raising issues such as the non-fulfillment of PPS till date, and pending tribal status demand for the 11 hill communities and also the latest “apathy to Gorkhas” in the CAPF recruitment by the Centre.

“The BGPM’s party line was clear. We had said that we would work for development as we are in alliance with the state government (Trinamul). Those working with the central government (the BJP) should work on other issues. The Gorkhas voted (for the BJP) thrice. There has been no outcome,” said Thapa, who also participated in the dharna in front of the Darjeeling DM office.

“The BJP’s apathy towards the Gorkha is clear. Our language has not been included in the central forces recruitment examination,” said Thapa.

The BGPM wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding tribal status and the letter was sent through the district magistrate of Darjeeling.

“They (BJP) did nothing when they could. We know nothing will happen now but we want to make our people in the hills aware,” said Thapa.

The BGPM president announced the launch of “jagaran yatra” or the awareness campaign and announced that the party would hold similar protests at the gram panchayat level after the three-day protest at the district and sub-divisional headquarters.

“After the gram panchayat protest, we will organise a major rally at Terai to make the people of Dooars, Terai and Siliguri aware,” said Thapa.

The BGPM chief announced that his party would now raise Gorkha community-centric issues, too.

The BGPM’s activities are seen as the party’s fieldwork for the Lok Sabha election. The party has proposed the name of former WBCS officer Gopal Lama as its candidate.

Thapa has also made it clear that while the BGPM will select the candidate, he will have to fight the polls on a Trinamul ticket.

Trinamul, however, has never won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. The BJP has won the seat three times consecutively since 2009. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had won by a margin of more than 4 lakhs from Darjeeling.

“With the BJP’s failure to deliver and Anit Thapa’s strong presence in the hills, the Darjeeling seat looks like it will be a close contest,” said an observer.