BJP's Silence on Gorkha Concerns in 2024 Manifesto Sparks Criticism

In its platform for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP made no mention of the Darjeeling area or the Gorkhas.

The exclusion brought together the voices of opposition in the area to claim that the BJP had finally taken a line and that it had no intention of settling the Gorkha concerns.

"We (the BJP) will sympathetically examine and appropriately consider the long-pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis, and other people of Darjeeling district and Dooars region," the BJP said in a 2009 statement.

The BJP's initial 2014 platform had no mention of the area, which caused a large agitation and an outcry from its Darjeeling affiliate, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Subsequently, the BJP released an addendum, stating that it would "take initiatives for the permanent solution of the long-pending issues of the Bodos and other tribals of Assam, the people of Sikkim, Leh, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep and other such neglected regions." Gorkhas, Adivasis, and other people of the Darjeeling district and Dooars; Kamtapuri, Rajbonshi, and other people of North Bengal (including recognition of their language); and other long-standing demands of these groups are reiterated by the BJP.

The Sankalp Patra, the Lok Sabha platform for 2019, had a section on "political resolution on the matter of Gorkha" but made no mention of looking into the situation sympathetically.

"We will recognize the 11 Indian Gorkha sub-tribes that were left out as Schedule Tribes," the Sankalp Patra said. Additionally, we are dedicated to putting the Limboo and Tamang tribes' reservation into effect in the Sikkim legislative assembly. We are dedicated to pursuing a long-term political resolution for the Dooars area, Siliguri Terai, and Darjeeling Hills issues.

Both of the pledges were not kept throughout the previous five years.

Munish Tamang, the Congress candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, spearheaded the assault when the results of 2024 were announced, saying, "The BJP has finally spoken the truth regarding the Gorkhas in its election manifesto."

But the Congress has made no mention of Darjeeling or the Gorkhas specifically.

The BJP was also criticised by Anit Thapa of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), which supports Trinamul, and the Hamro Party, which supports the Congress, for failing to mention Gorkha problems.

Many think that after the omission, the BJP leadership found itself in a difficult situation. In fact, the BJP ally GNLF had previously said that it would be preferable if PPS were made clearer in the saffron camp's electoral agenda this time.

On the other hand, Darjeeling-based BJP MP Raju Bista had a different opinion. "We must acknowledge that this time around, the manifesto has been presented in a new way. The manifesto was once a list of demands, but this time it is organized around policies with 2047 in mind," the speaker said.

According to Bista, there was no need to reiterate a commitment that was previously included in the 2019 election program. The prime minister said lately that a resolution to the Gorkha concerns is imminent. The work is coming along," said Bista.

"The BJP has sworn to meet the aspirations of Gorkha brothers and sisters with peace and amity," Modi declared recently at a public gathering in Siliguri. Our party has always supported the demands made by the Gorkhas. I would say that we are almost done with their long-standing request.