The Bimal Gurung camp of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will launch a Rs-10 membership subscription drive, the decision taken during the party’s central committee meeting at Patlebas on Saturday indicating that the party is trying to shore up its organisational base in the hills.

“We have decided to start a membership drive of Rs 10,” said Roshan Giri, general secretary of the Morcha’s Gurung camp, told the media.

Gurung’s party has been out of power since 2017, after their elected sabhasads from Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) resigned from the hill body, and the state government appointed its rival Binay Tamang camp to head the GTA.

With Gurung on the run from 2017 to October 2020, his faction of the Morcha suffered organisational setbacks, as many supporters left it.

Giri tried to circumvent a question from The Telegraph when asked if the party was low on supporters and funds.

“Membership drive has not been held since 2017...we also need party funds. A subscription of Rs 10 will help run the party,” said Giri. “We used to collect (the subscription) every year...Our source of party funds is through membership subscription. We have to submit an audited account to the Election Commision every year.”

The faction also decided on a 51-member central committee instead of a huge 108-member one, and a “national committee” with representatives from different states, he said.

More assistant secretaries, apart from Bimal Darjee and Binu Sundas, would be appointed apart from party spokespersons from various regions of the area.

While the Morcha’s rival Binay Tamang’s youth wing is scheduled to hold a public meeting at Tukvar on Sunday, Gurung will travel to Kalimpong for a public meeting on January 7. Two days later, the Tamang camp is also likely to hold a meeting in Kalimpong.