The Binay Tamang faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha started celebrating in the hills on Tuesday evening amid claims that the chief minister referred to Tamang and Anit Thapa as “guardians” of the hills.

Tamang’s supporters burst crackers in Darjeeling town while others in Kalimpong distributed sweets.

Tamang and Thapa, who is also the chief of GTA, met Mamata in Nabanna for the first time after rival Morcha leader Bimal Gurung — with serious criminal charges against him — reappeared after three years last month and pledged support to Trinamul in the upcoming Bengal elections.

Tamang’s written statement after the meeting read: “In our discussion hon CM said that Anit and Binay are the guardians of Hills. As a guardian you should know how to keep hills under control and prevail peace in the hills. I have entrusted hills in your hands. I will at any cost will not interfere in your works nor will allow anyone to interfere in the hills. Peace and tranquility of the hills is our priority. I want peace not only in hills but in the entire North Bengal. I and my party will work to keep the area peaceful. I assure my support to you two (sic).”

After the meeting got over by 4pm, the mood turned celebratory in Tamang’s camp in Darjeeling though the outcome of the meeting was officially not made public.

Speaking to the media in Calcutta, Tamang repeatedly stressed that Gurung was not discussed. But the tone for the celebrations was set by Tamang himself, who sent a WhatsApp message, “meeting successful, peace will prevail in the hills,” to his party leaders. To mediapersons, Tamang’s WhatsApp text read: “Meeting is over, Meeting is fruitful.”

Tamang said that the GTA would receive extra grants and funds for beautification of Mirik Lake and that official-level meetings would be convened to decided pending issues of GTA employees and cinchona plantations.

However in Darjeeling, the “political outcome” was the talking point.

A senior leader of the Tamang camp posted a status “Chapter Closed” in his Facebook account as if to imply that Gurung’s political chapter was closed.

But many hill observers believe that the entire picture is yet to unfold. “Tamang may have received a favourable response from Mamata Banerjee but one must not forget that Bimal Gurung is also getting preferential treatment in Calcutta in the sense that he was there in the city in full public view,” said a hill observer.

Many in the hills are speculating that Gurung might stay in Gorkha-dominated area of the Dooars while Tamang and Thapa would be in the hills. Whether that formula is honoured or not remains to be seen as Gurung’s supporters are also active across the hills. They held an indoor meeting in Mirik today.

Tamang’s faction has in turn been trying to stress that Gurung’s presence in the hills would create a law-and-order problem and that he is a “fugitive” wanted by law.