India News | Bimal Gurung on Fast, GJM Urges Mamata to Consider Demands

Kolkata, May 27 (PTI) The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Friday urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to look into their demands of postponing the election to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), which administers the Darjeeling Hills, and expand its jurisdiction as the hunger strike of party chief Bimal Gurung entered the third day.

Gurung has been on hunger strike at the GJM's office in Singamari in Darjeeling since Wednesday.

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"Bimal-ji is fighting for the rights of the people of the Hills. His indefinite hunger strike entered its third day, and it will continue to press for the inclusion of 396 mouzas in the jurisdiction of GTA," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.

"I have written a letter to the chief minister, requesting her to look into it personally," he added.

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The West Bengal government on Friday issued a notification, announcing the GTA polls on June 26.

The elections to the GTA were last held in 2012. The GJM had swept the polls, winning all 45 seats.

The GJM has been demanding postponement of the election until the Memorandum of Proposal (MoP) submitted by it is implemented. Among others, it demands the inclusion of 396 mouzas in the GTA and transfer of some departments.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)