Darjeeling politics: Mamata, Anit Thapa to hold crucial meeting this week

Kolkata: In wake of the newly-emerging political equation in the hills of Darjeeling in north West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) chief and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive Anit Thapa will be having a crucial meeting this week.

The meeting will happen either on February 3 or February 4, immediately after the Chief Minister returns to the state capital from her current district tour, Thapa said on Tuesday.

The proposed meeting is viewed to be extremely crucial following the recent development in the hills where three arch-rivals, namely - Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)'s Bimal Gurung, Hamro Party's Ajay Edwards and estranged Trinamool Congress leader, Binoy Tamang have come closer and resurrected the statehood demand. Even Trinamool's hill district Vice President, Pradeep Pradhan has also extended support to the trio on this count.

A source here said: "The meeting between the Chief Minister and Anit Thapa will be especially crucial against the backdrop of yet another crucial development where Bimal Gurung has withdrawing GJM as the party to the tripartite GTA pact signed in July 2011 with the Union and state governments being the other two parties."

Gurung withdrew from the pact by forwarding a letter on this count on January 27 to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mamata Banerjee, the Union Home Secretary and the West Bengal Home Secretary.

State government sources said besides discussions on the emerging political situation, there might be discussions on the possibilities of setting up officers of West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in the state. Possibilities of handover over the controlling authority of certain crucial services to the GTA might also be discussed. Regularisation of the employees of GTA might be another point of discussion.