Kolkata, 01 April (H.S.) – A 12-member delegation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal is set to attend a tripartite meeting in Delhi on April 2. The meeting, convened by the central government, aims to discuss a permanent political solution for the Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong hills.

The delegation comprises 11 BJP MLAs and one Lok Sabha MP. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista will lead the team, accompanied by Siliguri MLA and BJP’s chief whip in the West Bengal Assembly, Dr. Shankar Ghosh.

The other members include:

Neeraj Zimba (Darjeeling MLA)

Durga Murmu (Phansidewa MLA)

Anandamoy Barman (Matigara-Naxalbari MLA)

Puna Bhengra (Nagrakata MLA)

Vishal Lama (Kalchini MLA)

Shikha Chatterjee (Dabgram-Phulbari MLA)

Sushil Barman (Mathabhanga MLA)

Malati Rabha Roy (Tufanganj MLA)

Kaushik Roy (Maynaguri MLA)

Chinmoy Deb Barman (Gazole MLA)

Speaking about the meeting, Raju Bista emphasized that it is a non-political discussion and hinted that the central government might have a concrete development plan for the Darjeeling hills. “Any political group supporting the development of the hills should participate in this meeting,” he stated.

BJP MLA Dr. Shankar Ghosh highlighted that the Modi government has undertaken several initiatives for North Bengal’s development but acknowledged that further efforts are needed.

However, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has raised concerns over the meeting. Santa Chettri, TMC’s Darjeeling Hill President and former Rajya Sabha MP, stated that the party was not informed about the meeting. “BJP has always played politics in the hills instead of focusing on real development. This meeting is just another eyewash,” he remarked.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh