Mamata Banerjee and Bimal Gurung part ways; TMC support base in hills still shaky

SILIGURI: Days of their friendship is over. Bengal’s ruling party Trinamool Congress(TMC) and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) are now on the opposite sides of a tug of war. The question is how far TMC can maintain its tactical path to establish own footing in hills where its own political presence is near non-existent.

Those were the cozy days when TMC supremo and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee used to find Darjeeling hills as ‘smiling’ under the leadership of her friend Bimal Gurung, President of GJM. Then Gurung also used to consider Mamata as close as ‘Mother.’ Eventually that friendship yielded many electoral and political gains for both of them.

But following issues pertaining to shifting of power to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Darjeeling’s autonomous administrative body and sanction of funds started generating heat prompting GJM to wash its hands off TMC and tilt towards the BJP. The move made TMC adamant to break GJM’s support base.

Formation of many ethnic community based ‘Development Boards,’ declaring Hill Sub Division Kalimpong a district or offering GJM leaders high posts under own umbrella remained TMCs preferred path to proceed in hills.

But, can TMC hold the growth pace? “Definitely,” said confident TMC top leader and state tourism Minister Gautam Deb. “People in hills are realizing that TMC is the actual force to remain with,” said Mamata Banerjee.

Interestingly, even during the avalanche victory of TMC in West Bengal during last assembly election, the party could not open its account in Darjeeling district. “Being adamant with that to set footing in hills too fast, TMC preferred taking tactical path instead of building own true political support base. In the process, it seemed to have left one major issue uncared for. Hills politics revolves around the old demand of separate Gorkhaland statehood for Darjeeling. Strong mass sentiment is attached to it. No one can stand here without supporting this,” said political analysts.

But clear enough, “TMC cannot support Gorkhaland's demand openly as barring three state assembly constituencies in hills, practically none of the other 291 constituencies in plains area is in support to that. So, it will be difficult for TMC to maintain its growth pace in hills,” they said.