Thapa, an ally of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), made his resignation public on social media just a day after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari indicated that his government would investigate corruption claims against the GTA and penalize those found culpable. In addition to stepping down as chief executive, he also resigned from his position as a GTA member.
According to sources close to Thapa, the BGPM is set to collaborate with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state for the upliftment of the hills.
Thapa previously split from the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) to establish the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM).
With TMC’s backing, Thapa’s BGPM ran for all three assembly seats in the hills—Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong—but faced defeats against the BJP.
The GTA was established by the Mamata Banerjee government in 2011 to address the demands of the Gorkha community, who were seeking a separate state called Gorkhaland, carved from West Bengal.
While visiting Kurseong on Tuesday, CM Adhikari claimed that the previous government had earmarked ₹180 crore for the GTA in the 2024-25 fiscal year, but that no progress had been made and the funds were misappropriated.
“We will allocate more than double that amount and implement a strategy being created by our government for the development of a medical college and the enhancement of roads and bridges in the region,” he stated.
“Those who misappropriated public funds will face legal consequences. We will not hold back. Na khaunga, na khane dunga (Will neither take bribes, nor will let others take them),” he added, referring to the alleged irregularities in the hiring of teachers for GTA-managed schools.
During the West Bengal election campaign, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured a “permanent political solution” within the constitutional framework for the hills, without fragmenting the state.
(Edited by : Gautham Krishna)
