Bimal Gurung, the president of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, who was in total control of hill politics from 2007 to 2020, announced his decision not to contest any further election on Thursday, the last day of campaigning for the July 8 panchayat polls.

“Bimal Gurung is no longer carrying this concept of fighting an election to occupy a chair. He will make leaders but will no longer sit on the chair...," said Gurung.

Gurung, however, boasted that he had produced MPs such as Jaswant Singh, S.S. Ahluwalia and Raju Bista, and MLAs out of former Andhra Pradesh chief secretary Trilok Dewan, college teacher Rohit Sharma and educationist Harka Bahadur Chhetri.

“I am someone who creates products,” said Gurung, whose political slide started after he joined hands with Trinamul in October 2020.

Many hill observers, while admitting that Gurung made a major announcement, however, were guarded in their reactions.

Bimal Gurung. File photo

“During Bimal Gurung’s entire political career, he has made major announcements only to make a U-turn citing pressure from his party men. One may recall he quit as the chief executive of the GTA in June 2013 only to be back in the post in December of the same year,” said an observer.

This apart, a decision by Kishan Singh, an Independent who won the gram panchayat seat uncontested, to join the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha even before polling day surprised many.

Singh won from ward 8 of Ghoom Khasmal gram panchayat seat from Jorebunglow-Sukhiapokhri block. “I joined the BGPM for the sake of my village's development,” said Singh.

The number of uncontested BGPM candidates now stands at 62 in this two-tier rural poll, which includes 52 from gram panchayats and 10 from panchayat samitis.

On Thursday, BJP leaders were shown black flags at Simulbari, about 20km from Siliguri. Neeraj Zimba, the BJP Darjeeling MLA, spoke with protesters.

Anit Thapa, the BGPM president, campaigned at Bloomfield-Risheehat GTA constituency. Binay Tamang is the elected GTA Sabha member from the area. Tamang and Thapa were both in the Morcha (Binay faction) when trouble broke out between them in 2021 and the Morcha faction was dissolved.