The other day I joked with my Bengali friends. I told them the Darjeeling parliamentary seat – considered prestigious both for Bimal Gurung and Mamata Bannerjee in West Bengal politics – being won with a huge margin by the BJP for the second consecutive time is equivalent to creation of Gorkhaland. I told my Bengali colleague with smiles, “We have achieved Gorkhaland since BJP has won Darjeeling”.
 |
| Shri SS Ahluwalia polled a total of 488257 Votes defeating TMC’s Baichung Bhutia with a margin of 197239 Votes |
My colleague however in a sudden gesture replied, “The number at the centre is 280 plus and it is not impossible for you to attain state. The fact that a coalition government is a hindrance even for the leaders to work and had it been just a coalition government too i would have denied our claim. Didi has no role to play at the centre and that is a plus point for the Gorkha demand”.
However, keeping jokes aside speaking right away now for ‘Gorkhaland’ it is time that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) pay back the Gorkhas for supporting them not only in Darjeeling but across the country. The 16th parliamentary polls like in the other parts of the country in Darjeeling too, were fought amidst tight contest. The BJP’s magic figure of 280 plus also has Gorkha sentiments and It is now or never for the Gorkhas of Indian origin to solve their identity crises.
The Gorkhas in Darjeeling has braved the Mamata tirade twice in giving the BJP successive wins which they failed to do so in nooks and corner of the state apart from Asansol. The last time Gorkhas supported BJP it won the Darjeeling seat with even much huge margin but was unlucky not to find BJP at the helm of affairs. All political pundits cursed the Bimal Gurung led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for wrong calculation. And this time Bimal has made it right to find BJP not only at the seat of power but with a single largest majority in 500 plus capacity parliamentary.
Time has come for Bimal Gurung and company to halt thinking about development or GTA and rejuvenate for lobbying in the national capital at the earliest that can earn them a good response. The BJP might play a spoilsport because it is eyeing the Bengal Assembly polls after having stood second in most of the constituencies.
