Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met several leaders from Darjeeling in Delhi on Tuesday including a leader of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), which is an ally of the BJP in the hills.

“I would like to state that the political leaders from Darjeeling, Dr Munish Tamang, national president of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang (a pan-India apolitical outfit), Ajoy Edwards, president, Hamro Party, Mahendra Chhetri, general secretary, GNLF, and former zonal secretary of CPM, Prakash Subba, held separate meetings with Shri Rahul Gandhi in Delhi today (Tuesday),” said Binay Tamang, the general secretary of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC).

Binay Tamang (left) with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Tuesday. The Telegraph

While the meeting generated interest in hill politics overall, GNLF leader Chhetri's meeting with Rahul created a special flutter.

Neeraj Zimba, secretary-general of the GNLF who won the Darjeeling Assembly election on a BJP ticket, said he was unaware of the meeting when The Telegraph first contacted him on Tuesday noon.

Later, Zimba contacted the newspaper to clarify that Chhetri met Rahul “in his personal capacity.”

“I confirmed with our party president (Mann Ghisingh) that Chhetri had gone there in his personal capacity and not a party representative,” said Zimba.

Chhetri, however, said he had received a letter addressed to the general secretary of the GNLF from Rahul. “I went as the general secretary of the party. I spoke about the demand for Sixth Schedule which our party has been raising consistently,” said Chhetri.

Asked about the reason behind a BJP ally leader meeting Rahul, Chhetri said: “Earlier, the UPA (a Congress-led alliance) had agreed to grant Sixth Schedule status to Darjeeling hills. We had a first round of meetings today (Tuesday) and we will sit for another round of meetings (with Congress leadership) soon.”

The UPA-led Centre agreed to grant Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling hills in 2005 but the issue was put on the back burner after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung started the Gorkhaland agitation in 2007.

Zimba claimed Chhetri was no longer a GNLF general secretary. “The party appointed him as pro tem general secretary for six months. The period has long expired,” said Zimba.

The meeting between hill leaders and Rahul assumes significance as the BJP has not been able to fulfill its twin promises of 2019 to find a permanent political solution (PPS) for the region and grant tribal status to 11 hill parties.

“There were serious discussions on various issues related to the region. I requested Rahul Gandhi and his family, and senior party leaders to visit Darjeeling hills and north Bengal soon,” said Tamang.

The Congress had last won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in 2004 when Congress leader Dawa Narubla was supported by the GNLF.

Edwards, who had reached Delhi on Monday night, had to rush to Siliguri soon after Tuesday's meeting as his father John Boniface Edwards passed away.