Kolkata, Oct 28 : After Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leader Bimal Gurung, who had been absconding since 2017 after he was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, resurfaced in Kolkata on October 21, the political equation has undergone a drastic change in West Bengal’s hill district of Darjeeling ahead of the crucial state Assembly polls scheduled in 2021 .
In the wake of the current political scenario, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday flew to the national capital to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Dhankhar is on an official visit to Delhi from October 28-30.
The Governor left for Delhi on Wednesday evening and would return to Kolkata on October 30.He is slated to meet Shah on Thursday.
According to sources, Dhankhar would travel to Darjeeling and stay there for a month after his return from Delhi.
The West Bengal Governor would spend the entire month of November in Darjeeling, from November 1-30, and he would be running his office form the Governor House there, sources said.
Dhankhar would travel to Darjeeling along with senior officials from the Governor House to run the show from there.
“He will hold various meetings with people during his month-long stay.The Governor will also hold a press conference once he arrives in Darjeeling on November 1,” an official said.
Dhankhar’s proposed visit to Darjeeling assumes significance at a time when Gurung has snapped all political ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre and openly announced that he would support the Trinamool Congress in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Gurung had appeared at the Gorkha Bhavan in Kolkata’s satellite township of Salt Lake last week.
Interacting with mediapersons, he had said: “We are not moving away from our Gorkhaland demand.We will only support the party which will take it forward.
The Centre didn’t meet the commitment it made to us.But West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fulfilled all the promises she had made.”
He further said that his party would support the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in next year’s Assembly polls
.
