A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha committee has demanded that nearly 35 per cent of the land in hill tea gardens be “resumed” — reclaimed by the Bengal government — and distributed among the estates’ workers.

Land rights are a key issue in the hills and the call by the Morcha’s land rights committee could churn political equations ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The latest assertion of the demand is seen as an attempt to galvanise support for the Morcha’s Binay Tamang faction at a time the BJP has been highlighting another old issue — recognition of 11 hill communities as Scheduled Tribes.

“The land rights issue will outweigh the BJP’s tribal (ST) card as the majority of hill people live in tea gardens and though they have been there for years, they don’t have land rights,” said an observer.

Tea land is leased out to the owners of the gardens who, in turn, allow the workers to live there.

As the demand pertains to the state government the chances of it being met ahead of the Lok Sabha elections slated next year are much higher. The ST status for 11 communities is a longer process as it has to be routed through Parliament.

The state government has set a precedent by granting land rights to some residents of Mirik after “resuming” plots from a tea garden. Many believe the move helped Trinamul win the Mirik municipality in elections last year.

“If the state government yields to this demand (giving tea garden land rights to the workers), the Morcha could sweep all elections in the hills,” an observer said.

Jyoti Kumar Rai, a senior Morcha leader who is chief convenor of its land rights cell, said a survey had showed nearly 35 per cent of the land in tea gardens was with the workers. “During our survey we have found out that in the 105 tea gardens in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) area, 1.03 lakh acres are under tea managements,” said Rai.

Of this, Rai claimed that around 24,191 acres was “unused” and housed labourers’ quarters and community assets. “The workers possess another 11,042 acres, which they cultivate even though they have no land rights,” said Rai.

The committee placed its findings before Tamang — who is also the GTA chief — on Friday to pursue the matter with the state government. The land figures put out by the committee could not be officially verified.