Kolkata, 24th June: After numerous speculations over the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) election, Calcutta High Court on Friday, turned down the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)’s plea seeking a stay on the publication of GTA elections on June 26.
As per the information, while passing the order, the single-judge bench of Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya remarked that the court does not find any necessity to interfere in the GTA poll process at this point of time. However, the other petitions of GNLF ‘challenging the legality of GTA’ will be heard at a later date.
It is to be noted, for the past several months, Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) along with several organizations, unions and hill parties including Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM), Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha (GRNM), have been relentlessly opposing against the election for the semi-autonomous council GTA.
The GJM President Bimal Gurung also staged a hunger strike for 103 hours opposing the same. Despite this, the State Election Commission, on May 27, issued a directive stating that the GTA election would be held on 26th June 2022. Condemning the state’s move, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista had accused the TMC government of “blatantly” misusing its powers by forcefully imposing the election despite the people of the hills overwhelmingly rejecting the GTA.
Meanwhile, the Ajoy Edward-led Hamro Party and Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), All India Trinamool Congress and independent candidates have been electioneering in full swing for the GTA election.