Some prominent political faces from Darjeeling hills, including an elected Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) member, and panchayat members who did not join the Ajoy Edwards-led Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) at the last moment, have started regrouping to explore a new political alignment in the hills.

Sources said that more than 30 leaders met at Relli in Kalimpong on January 2 to discuss their way forward.

The group includes independent GTA Sabha member from Kalimpong Palden Tamang; chief convener of the Separate State Coordination Committee Sanjay Thulung (also a former GTA Sabha member); former general secretary of Gorkha Janmukti Yuwa Morcha Priyabardan Rai; chief of United Gorkha Revolutionary Front Ajay Dahal; political activist Bikramaadi Rai and the convener of apolitical Gorkha Gaurav Sanstan
Narendra Tamang.

Sources said that this group was set to join Edwards’s IGJF but backed off at the last moment.

“This group had agreed that the team would be led by Edwards but they wanted every party decision to be a collective one to be formally announced by Edwards,” said a source.

After more than four meetings with Edwards, team members felt that Edwards was more inclined towards making his own decisions, said a source.

He admitted Edwards was to mobilise most of the funds for the party.

The source said that this team also did not agree on the name of the party and the design of the flag.

“A meeting to discuss this issue was scheduled but Edwards postponed the meeting at the last moment. The team members felt that Edwards was not inclined to discuss the same,” said the source.

This team which has known political faces that have remained independent of the present political parties from the hills also wants to remain equidistant from both the state and the Centre.

“The team wanted to address all issues logically and be open to different strategies,” said a source.

Another major contention was the timing of the launch of the new party by Edwards.

“While Edwards wanted to launch the party on December 22, 2024, these members of the team were of the opinion that they should wait for the right moment to launch the party,” said a source. “There is no doubt that this team also perceives a political vacuum in the hills (regarding the call for Gorkhaland).”

A source from the team said that their future strategies, including the timing of their entry to hill politics, were discussed at the Relli meeting.

Edwards did not take calls from this newspaper on Saturday.