Kolkata, 07 October (H.S.) : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s scheduled visit to Darjeeling to attend the 20th Foundation Day celebrations of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) was canceled at the last minute on Wednesday. Official sources indicated that the Chief Minister will instead travel to Gujarat to participate in events marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's completion of 25 years in administrative office.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, Adhikari attended a grand commemorative event at Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium to celebrate the Prime Minister's silver jubilee milestone, where he delivered a brief address. Following his speech, the Chief Minister, alongside senior party leaders, listened to the Prime Minister's national broadcast. His revised itinerary to visit the Prime Minister's home state of Gujarat on Wednesday afternoon ultimately necessitated the cancellation of his Darjeeling trip.

The GJM event holds significant political weight as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has consolidated substantial public backing in the Hills following the regime change in the state. GJM supremo Bimal Gurung had openly backed the BJP during the assembly elections, leading an intensive campaign. Following the formation of the BJP government, Adhikari visited the Hills and shared the stage with Gurung.

Recently, the GJM leader held a special meeting with the Chief Minister at the state secretariat, Nabanna in Kolkata. This followed a prior meeting in September, where Gurung and GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri met Adhikari to discuss the political landscape and developmental initiatives in the Hills, during which the invitation for the foundation day was formally extended.

The political focus on the region was further underscored by a recent crucial meeting held at Uttarkanya, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, focusing on Hill development and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). The high-level meeting delivered a resolute message promising a permanent political solution to the region's long-standing issues and accelerated development across Darjeeling and North Bengal under the 'double-engine' government.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh