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Just within nine months since the formation of the new board in Darjeeling Municipality, the opposition alliance of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and Trinamool Congress grabbed power in the civic body of the Queen of the Hills by luring awat six councillors from the ruling Hamro Party.
In February this year, Ajay Edward-led Hamro Party took control over the Darjeeling Municipality by bagging 18 out of 32 wards in the civic body. The BGPM-Trinamool alliance bagged a total of 10 seats, with the BGPM at eight and the Trinamool at two. The Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which was once the final word in the hills of north Bengal, won just four seats. However, the change of guard happened on Thursday only nine months after the formation of the board through elections, when six councillors of Hamro Party joined the opposition alliance, thus making the ruling party a minority in the board. However, there is still a hurdle for the opposition alliance to take control over the board. With the six councillors of Hamro Party joining it, its combined strength in the 32-member board becomes 16, which is one less than the required magic figure of 17. However, BGPM founder President Anit Thapa told media persons that since there are feelers from a couple of other councillors from Hamro Party to join the alliance, the actual change in the guard will just be a matter of time. "It is certain that we are taking control of the Darjeeling Municipality. The wave of development in the entire state under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will now reach the hills," he said. On the other hand, Hamro Party's founder President Edward said that BGPM allured these councillors by promising them payment of lakhs of rupees as well as residence at Darjeeling district headquarters at Siliguri. "This is not an ethical way to take control of the board," he said. --IANS src/vd ( 340 Words) 2022-11-24-19:08:01 (IANS)
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