Bimal Gurung’s political past seems to be haunting his present. During the twoday semi¬nar in Darjeeling by Gurung’s party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on the issue of a separate Gorkhaland, questions were raised on Gurung’s decisions when he had total grip on hill politics from 2007 to 2017.

Ajoy Edwards, president, Hamro Party, who was among the few politicians from outside Gurung’s party to attend the Morcha seminar on Saturday, flagged off the issue of the all party committee.One of the avowed aims of the seminar is to form a “national committee” to pursue the statehood demand.“Probably because of various compulsions, daju (Gurung) had (then) twice said that the chapter (of all party committees to pursue Gorkhaland) was closed. People are hopeful there will be no such repeats (now),” Edwards, sitting beside Gurung at the seminar, said.

In 2013 and 2017, when the Morcha started its second and third phases of the agitation, it formed a committee of all hill parties. However, Gurung dissolved the committee both times when things became favourable for him.Harka Bahadur Chhetri, president Jana Andolan Party, and a former Morcha MLA from Kalimpong, also flagged another issue hitting at Gurung’s leadership.

“Seminars which were attended by leaders of national parties were held in Delhi but what was the outcome? I believe that if I had been an independent MLA (and not the Mor¬cha’s) I’d have achieved much more,” said Chhetri on Friday, a day before the seminar.Many believe Gurung is politically in a tight spot at the moment after losing mass support.The two issues seem to be haunting him. Addressing the seminar at Darjeeling on Sunday, he chose to blame others for the decisions.

“People are unaware but Roshan Giri and Kalyan Dewan were nearly attacked in Delhi by people of vested interests. Since such poisonous elements had entered (the all party committee) I decided to dissolve (the committee in 2017),” said Gurung. Giri is the Morcha general secretary. Dewan, a GJM leader then, was the convener of the all party committee.The Morcha president, without mentioning Harka Bahadur Chhetri, said people allegedly involved in finalising the GTA agreement were now signing a different tune.“I don’t have much to say to such people,” said Gurung.Gurung, who was on the run from the Trinamulled state government since 2017 following the statehood agitation, decided to support the Trinamul Congress in the 2021 Assembly election.

However, the Morcha’s decision to join hands with Tri¬namul, however, has not helped the party in electoral politics as it fared miserably in three successive elections since then. Apart from the Assembly polls, the party fared poorly in Darjeeling municipality and the recent Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) polls.Rural polls are expected to be held in Darjeeling after two decades next year. Gurung plans to organise another seminar in Delhi in November where a “national committee” is expected to be firmed up.