Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reached out to the Gorkha population in north Bengal and asserted that the BJP was “very close” to meeting their "longstanding demand".

Modi simultaneously made a slew of announcements for the small tea growers ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, a move aimed at consolidating votes for his party in the region.

“The BJP has sworn to meet the aspirations of the Gorkha brothers and sisters with peace and amity. We have come up with Ram Mandir and could obliterate Article 370, which people had never thought would be done. Our party has always been sympathetic to their (the Gorkhas') demand and will put in efforts to meet their aspirations. Let me assert that we are very close to resolving their longstanding demand,” Modi said at a public meeting here on Saturday afternoon.

“The BJP has a specific roadmap for the development of north Bengal. We want the region to prosper with three Ts — tea, timber and tourism,” he added.

The Prime Minister’s assertion comes at a time when questions are being raised across the hills on when the BJP would meet their demand for a permanent political solution (PPS). Several political leaders, including BJP leaders, have asked when the party's promise on PPS would be met, as the BJP's assurance led to the hill residents voting for the party in large numbers since the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

“It is evident that the Prime Minister tried to soothe disgruntled hill voters, who have time and again referred to two principal issues, PPS and Scheduled Tribe status to 11 hill communities. It seems the Prime Minister and his party don't want to lose the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat as it is the only seat in Bengal where the party has won thrice since 2009,” said a political observer.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), which is the strongest political force in the hills now in terms of recent election results, was quick to point out that the Prime Minister had simply reaffirmed his promise ahead of the 2024 polls.

“The Prime Minister’s remarks reaffirm what we have been saying so far that the BJP has not done anything for the Gorkhas during the past 15 years. This time, as the Lok Sabha elections are drawing near, he made the promise again. But the hill residents will not buy it this time,” said Rajesh Chouhan, a central committee leader of BGPM and the deputy chief of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

The BGPM, headed by Anit Thapa, is working as an ally of Trinamul in the hills.

At the meeting where tea workers were also present, Modi introduced himself as “chaiwala (tea seller)" again.

“There are around 40,000 small tea growers in this region. We are extending the benefits of central schemes like the Kisan credit card, the PM Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance) and irrigation scheme (PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana) to them. It will largely help them,” Modi said.

People associated with the sector said that altogether, around seven lakh people are directly or indirectly involved with it.

“The announcements will definitely impact those who make a livelihood from the sector, and their families,” said a small tea grower based in Siliguri.

Bijoygopal Chakraborty, the president of the Confederation of Small Tea Growers’ Associations, welcomed the announcements.

“It is nice to hear from the Prime Minister that the growers will get benefits of these central schemes. We had wanted it,” he said.