A Darjeeling resident has lifted his intermittent hunger strike near MP Raju Bista’s residence at Matigara here after the BJP legislator wrote to the agitator on Sunday about his efforts to fulfil the party’s promise of finding a “permanent political solution” or PPS for the hills and conferring Scheduled Tribe (ST) status on 11 Gorkha communities.

Birendra Rasaily, a lawyer, had been fasting from 10am to 4pm since Friday.

“Yesterday evening (on the third day of the relay hunger strike), I received a clarification in writing from the MP regarding the PPS and the ST status. I am satisfied with his reply and have withdrawn my protest,” said Rasaily, who didn’t fast after Sunday.

Bista said in his letter that he had been relentlessly flagging the issues in the Lok Sabha and lobbying the Narendra Modi government to get the promises fulfilled.

“I am tirelessly engaged with the Union ministry of home affairs and tribal affairs, along with other relevant departments, including the Prime Minister’s office by advocating these issues,” read Bista’s letter.

“Due to persistent efforts, the Union ministry of home affairs has initiated the tripartite dialogue, the details of which are already in the public domain and the process is currently ongoing,” the Darjeeling MP said in his letter.

Bista has also assured the lawyer that he will inform everyone about any developments on those issues.

Leaders of the Trinamul Congress’s Darjeeling district committee were critical of the MP and his letter.

“They (BJP) had won the previous Lok Sabha polls by making some tall talks and promises which have eventually turned out to be hollow. Now, as the elections are drawing near, they are trying to use these issues again to draw votes from the hill residents. The strategy will not work this time,” said Vedabrata Dutta, the spokesperson for Darjeeling (plains) district Trinamul.