Bimal Gurung reappeared in Kolkata after three years on Wednesday.
Calcutta:
The sudden reappearance of Bimal Gurung and his change of allegiance from the NDA to Trinamool has set fire to his rivals, especially on the incendiary issue of Gorkhaland’s statehood.
The leader of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, a group that spearheads the statehood movement in the Darjeeling Hills of northern West Bengal, went into hiding after the death of a police officer in an alleged shootout with his supporters in October 2017. He was an ally of the NDA, helping the BJP win the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat several times.
However, on Wednesday, Gurung, 56, said: “I want to see Mamata Banerjee again as chief minister and I will do my best to get her all the seats in North Bengal in the 2021 elections.”
In a tweet in response to his new stance, the Mamata Banerjee Trinamool Congress welcomed his “commitment to peace” and his “decision to withdraw support from the NDA.”
We welcome Bimal Gurung’s commitment to peace and the decision to withdraw support from the NDA while relying on @MamataOfficialleadership. The BJP’s attempts to use the Gorkhaland problem for petty politics and its unreliable nature are now fully exposed to the people of Bengal. (1/2)
– Trinamool All India Congress (@AITCofficial) October 21, 2020
However, Trinamool’s Congress rivals went into attack mode almost immediately.
Congressman Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, for example, criticized Ms Banerjee for reaching a deal with Gorkha leader Janmukti Morcha.
“The question now is whether Mamata Hee will either admit the Gorkhaland issue or Mr. Gurung will give up the demand for a separate state, “Chowdhury said, noting that the person who had slapped the UAPA charges against the leader of the Gorkhaland movement was now coddling him.
The BJP was not far behind. Citing a press release issued by Gurung, the party’s leader, Sayantan Bose, said that the BJP and the Prime Minister had not given in to Gorkhaland’s demand.
“Does it mean that, to stay in power, Mamata Banerjee has decided to divide Bengal?” Mr. Bose asked.
Both the BJP and Congress have noted that Mr. Gurung has several serious cases brought against him. What about those cases now? They asked.
Banerjee’s rivals say desperation is leading her to tie up people like Gurung and Chhatradhar Mahato, the leader of an organization friend of Moist.
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