BGPM Unveils Candidates for Three Crucial Assembly Seats in Darjeeling Hills
In a significant political development, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), an ally of the Trinamool Congress, announced its candidates for three key assembly constituencies in the Darjeeling hills on Sunday. The party named candidates for Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong, setting the stage for a competitive electoral battle in the region.
Candidate Profiles and Political Backgrounds
The BGPM, led by Anit Thapa, has fielded Bijoy Kumar Rai from the Darjeeling constituency. Rai recently retired as the headmaster of Darjeeling Government High School and previously served as the chairman of the School Service Commission for the hill region. Beyond his academic career, he is recognized for his literary contributions and active involvement in various social organizations in Darjeeling.
From Kurseong, the party nominated Amar Lama, its general secretary and a practicing advocate. Lama is a seasoned figure in Hills politics, having served as the general secretary of the Akhil Bhartiya Gorkha League (ABGL) from 1996 to 2000. He was also a senior leader in the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) after its formation in 2007 but left the party following the tragic murder of his elder brother, Madan Tamang, then ABGL president, in 2010. Lama later joined the Jan Andolan Party before aligning with BGPM in 2021.
For Kalimpong, the BGPM renominated Ruden Sada Lepcha, the sitting MLA. Lepcha was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in 2021, contesting as a candidate of the Binoy Tamang faction of GJM. He secured 58,206 votes, defeating BJP candidate Suva Pradhan by a margin of 3,870 votes.
Electoral Context and Historical Performance
The Darjeeling hills will vote in the first phase of the assembly elections on April 23. In the 2021 elections, the BJP won both the Darjeeling and Kurseong seats, while the BGPM captured the Kalimpong seat. Historically, the Darjeeling hills have been a stronghold for the BJP, with the party winning the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat four consecutive times. At the assembly level, BJP legislator Neeraj Zimba currently represents Darjeeling, and Bishnu Prasad Sharma won Kurseong as a BJP candidate before recently switching to the All India Trinamool Congress, indicating shifting political allegiances.
Voter Deletion Controversy and Gorkha Identity Issues
The political landscape in Darjeeling is currently marked by controversy due to the deletion of a large number of names from electoral rolls. According to data from the Darjeeling district administration, the final electoral roll shows a net reduction of 144,648 voters in the district. The district had 1,292,857 electors as of October 27, 2025, but after verification processes, the count now stands at 1,148,209 voters.
Specific deletions include:
- In Kurseong: 2,262 electors deleted and 14,534 under adjudication.
- In Darjeeling: 2,345 names deleted and 24,658 under scrutiny.
- In Kalimpong: 1,792 electors deleted and 6,790 under adjudication.
Across areas governed by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), a total of 6,399 electors have been deleted, with 45,982 voters under adjudication. This issue has sparked political tensions, with posters appearing in the hills targeting Darjeeling MP Raju Bista for his perceived silence on the matter.
Political Reactions and Future Implications
Senior Hills leader Binoy Tamang warned that the deletion of Gorkha voters could negatively impact the upcoming elections, potentially triggering an ethnic crisis and political disturbances. The situation underscores the long-standing political dynamics in the region, which have historically revolved around Gorkha identity and belonging.
As the election approaches, the BGPM's candidate announcements and the voter roll controversy are expected to shape the political discourse in the Darjeeling hills, making it a closely watched contest in West Bengal.
