The Bengal government on Friday officially notified that Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner A.R. Bardhan would administer oath to all newly elected Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabha members on July 12, a day that would mark the completion of a one-year political cycle for Anit Thapa who is set to head the hill body.

Upon hearing about the order, an insider of the Anit Thapa camp said: “The July 12 event would mark the successful culmination of a political cycle for Anit Thapa that was started exactly one year ago.”

After the 207th birth anniversary celebrations of poet Bhanu Bhakta Acharya on July 13 last year, Thapa who was then the general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s Binay Tamang faction, attended the party’s meeting in Darjeeling. “During the meeting, Thapa told senior leaders that if Binay Tamang joined the Trinamul Congress, he could not work with him,” the insider said.

Tamang was not present at the meeting.

The statement of Thapa, according to the insider, was wrongly conveyed to Tamang.

“The July 13 episode created a permanent chasm between the two leaders, which led to Tamang dissolving the faction,” the insider said.

Thapa then formed his own party, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM).

“Exactly a year later, the BGPM has secured a majority in the GTA Sabha,” said a BGPM leader.

Speaking about the July 13 meeting, Tamang had earlier told this correspondent. “I actually know what all transpired at the (July 13) meeting and the conspiracy that was hatched against me. They wanted to oust me.”

Many observers also note that during the Bhanu Jayanti celebrations last year, only Thapa was invited to the Chowrasta event by the state government and not Tamang and Bimal Gurung, who headed another Morcha faction. Both Tamang and Gurung were the allies of Trinamul.

Thapa is set to head the GTA. Tamang, who once headed the hill body, has been elected to the GTA Sabha.