The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) fielded “proxy” candidates in the polls to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabha on Friday, contrary to the stand both the partied had taken.

Although the Morcha led by Bimal Gurung is opposed to the GTA Sabha polls, some supporters resigned from the party and filed nominations in nine seats. Friday was the last day for the filing of nominations.

It was believed Anit Thapa’s BGPM would contest from 35 of 45 seats and set aside the remaining 10 seats for the ally, Trinamul Congress. However, BGPM supporters filed papers on Friday to contest from the 10 seats as Independents.

The Morcha wants the postponement of the polls till all provisions of the 2011 GTA agreement are implemented and 396 mouzas in the plains are brought under the jurisdiction of the hill body.

On Friday, Lopsang Yolmo, the working president of the Morcha, quit the party and filed his nomination from the Rongo-Jhaldhaka-Toeday constituency as an Independent.

Yolmo’s contention was that “we (Morcha) had discarded the GTA in 2017” but since the elections were being held, it was “time to fight the battle by entering the ring rather than barking from outside”.

Yolmo, who was earlier the deputy chairman of the GTA Sabha, however, stressed that he was not a Morcha candidate and had resigned from the party before filing the nomination. Yolmo said he would oppose the GTA and work for Gorkhaland if elected.

Asked if he would be seen with Gurung’s party after the election, Yolmo said: “Time will answer this question.”

Dip Thapa, Morcha president of the Bong-Durpin constituency, also resigned from the party and filed his nomination as an Independent with a narrative similar to that of Yolmo. Some Morcha supporters were seen accompanying the Independent candidates on their way to filing the nominations.

The BGPM had officially announced the names in 35 seats and mostly refrained from announcing names for the 10 seats where Trinamul has fielded candidates.

Amar Lama, the general secretary of the BGPM, had earlier said the party would “contest from all 45 seats”, when asked some of the constituencies would be set aside for Trinamul to contest from.

Despite not announcing the nominees for the 10 GTA seats, many BGPM leaders filed their nominations as “Independents” against the Trinamul nominees. Some of the BGPM leaders have resigned from the party, while others have not.

“There are two kinds of independents this time, you have to understand that,” quipped a BGPM leader.

In some constituencies, there were en masse resignations by BGPM leaders in some constituencies following ticket distribution. “Even though there have also been resignations from the Hamro Party, discontent following ticket distribution is highest within the BGPM,” said an observer.

The Hamro Party is the only one to have fielded candidates in all the 45 GTA constituencies.

A total of 318 candidates filed nominations.