Bimal Gurung, who once lorded over Darjeeling hills, has started an outreach ahead of the Lok Sabha polls after lying low for years.

Gurung's outreach comes at a time when the United Front for Smaller States (UFSS) — a forum of nine regional political parties and organisations — has proposed his name as the front’s candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.

Since the past fortnight, Gurung has been addressing public gatherings across Darjeeling and Kalimpong in what many are calling the party's "chapter two".

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president, since his return to Darjeeling in October 2020 after being on the run since the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation, has not had much poll success.

In the 2021 Bengal polls, Gurung turned away from the BJP to back Trinamul. Since then, his political graph has taken a beating in the Assembly, GTA, municipality and rural elections.

A Morcha source said the decision to join hands with Trinamul did not work. "We are not in alliance with any party now,” he added.