Trinamul-supported Candidate Gopal Lama Organizes Massive Rally for Darjeeling Candidacy

In order to submit his candidacy on Thursday, Gopal Lama, the Trinamul candidate supported by Anit Thapa's Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), organized a sizable gathering in the popular town.

Massive traffic bottlenecks throughout the day in Darjeeling were another result of the show of strength.

Retired bureaucrat Lama began his day with prayers at the Mahakal temple, attended by prominent members of the BGPM, including party president and head of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Thapa.

Prior to Lama filing his candidacy at the Darjeeling district magistrate's office, the BGPM convened a large-scale public assembly in Chowrasta.

Thapa said, "It is evident from the voices in the hills that they will see to it that Gopal Lama sir wins."

The hill leader went on to say that "development" was the problem facing the hills, just as it was for the rest of the nation.

Development is a problem for the whole nation, and the hills are no exception. The hills will vote this time too for peace and prosperity, as they have in the past, Thapa added.

Leaders of the BGPM were seen emphasizing the "issue" since their candidate, Lama, had lately given a misleading impression of his candidacy by claiming that if development work was done, "no issues left."

"We don't have any such problems; instead, the focus is on peace and growth. The government is working on large-scale development projects, and if we continue with development, there won't be any problems remaining, Lama had said shortly after Trinamul had declared his candidacy for the Darjeeling seat.

Hundreds of BGPM supporters traveled to Darjeeling on Thursday in order to participate in the assembly at Chowrasta and the parade that followed to the DM's office.

Many people of the hills experienced chaos in their routines due to the ensuing traffic jams.

"I arrived in Kurseong after leaving Darjeeling town at 10 a.m. and traveling for four hours." There were traffic bottlenecks till late at night, a local said.

On a typical day, the journey from Darjeeling to Kurseong takes around 1.5 hours.

Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency is a coveted seat that Trinamul has never won.

The BJP has won three straight back-to-back parliamentary elections since 2009.

Still unfulfilled, however, are the BJP's 2019 election platform pledges of a lasting political settlement for the area and the Scheduled Tribe classification for 11 hill people.

However, Raju Bista, the BJP's current MP, has once again been given the ticket.

Lama, a recent political arrival, will have a difficult opponent in the form of the incumbent BJP MP.