The BJP has not mentioned anything specific for the Darjeeling region or the Gorkhas in its 2024 Lok Sabha election manifesto.
The omission united the Opposition voices in the region to allege that the BJP
had finally made its stand clear and that the BJP was not interested in resolving the Gorkha issues.
In 2009, the BJP stated: “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.”
In 2014, the BJP failed to mention anything related to the region in its original manifesto that had led to a huge uproar with its ally in Darjeeling, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha expressing its displeasure. Then, the BJP had come up with an addendum: “...the BJP reiterates that it will sympathetically examine and appropriate consider the long-pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and other people of the Darjeeling district and Dooars; of the Kamtapuri, Rajbonshi and other people of North Bengal (including recognition of their language); and will 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.”
The 2019 Lok Sabha manifesto, called the Sankalp Patra, did not talk about
examining the issue sympathetically, but had a section on “political resolution on the matter of Gorkha.”
The Sankalp Patra read: “We will recognise the 11 left out Indian Gorkha sub-tribes as Schedule Tribes. We are also committed to implementing the reservation in the legislative assembly of Sikkim for Limboo and Tamang tribes. We are committed to working towards finding a permanent political solution to the issue of Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri Terai and Dooars region.”
During the past five years, the two promises were not fulfilled.
After the 2024 was out, Munish Tamang, the Congress candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, led the attack: “The BJP has finally spoken the truth regarding the Gorkhas in its election manifesto.”
The Congress, however, has not mentioned anything specific for Darjeeling or Gorkhas.
Anit Thapa of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), supporting Trinamul, and the Hamro Party, backing the Congress, also attacked the BJP for omitting Gorkha issues.
Many believe that the BJP leadership found itself in a spot following the omission. In fact, the GNLF, an ally of the BJP, had earlier even said that this time it would be better if PPS were to be more defined in the saffron camp’s election manifesto.
Raju Bista, BJP MP from Darjeeling, however, held a different view. “We have to understand that the manifesto has been presented in a different manner this time. Earlier the manifesto used to be a charter of demands but this time it has been framed around policies keeping in mind 2047,” he said.
Bista added that since a promise had already been made in the 2019 poll manifesto, there was no need to repeat it. “The prime minister has recently said we are near resolving the Gorkha issues. Work is progressing,” said Bista.
At a public meeting Siliguri recently, Modi had said: “The BJP has sworn to meet the aspirations of Gorkha brothers and sisters with peace and amity.... Our party has always been sympathetic to their (the Gorkhas’) demand.... Let me assert that we are very close to resolving their longstanding demand.”