Guwahati, Nov 21: Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objecting to the Centre’s appointment of an interlocutor for the Darjeeling hills, prominent Gorkha leader Ajoy Edwards has warned of a mass resignation from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
The political spotlight has swung back to the Darjeeling hills following Banerjee’s November 17 letter, in which she urged the Union government to revoke the appointment of retired IPS officer Pankaj Kumar Singh as interlocutor to hold talks with Gorkha groups.
Ajoy Edwards, president of the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF), criticised the state government for opposing the Centre’s move, saying the GTA has become a “failed, non-functional and non-autonomous body,” much like its predecessor, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC).
He alleged that the GTA Agreement of 2021 has “never been implemented in letter or spirit,” claiming there is a “deliberate political design” to keep the institution weak by not framing essential laws, rules, and procedures for over 13 years.
The Ministry of Home Affairs appointed Pankaj Kumar Singh as interlocutor on October 16, 2025, tasking him with engaging political stakeholders in the hills to address long-standing political demands.
However, the Chief Minister has strongly objected to his appointment. In her letter, Banerjee said:
“The present move by the Central government is not only unconstitutional, but also appears to be a politically motivated attempt to disturb the peace and stability of the region. The Government of West Bengal categorically rejects this unconstitutional, arbitrary, and politically coloured interference in the internal affairs of the state.”
With the 2026 Assembly elections approaching, the dispute has taken on added political significance. The BJP, which has been trying to expand its footprint in West Bengal, sees the hills as a key battleground.
Edwards accused both the state government and “a single individual in Darjeeling” of running the GTA according to their “whims and fancies,” undermining democratic processes. He noted that elections due in 2017 were suspended for nearly five years, and that mandatory quarterly meetings of the GTA Sabha have been neglected — with only three held in the past three years.
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