Low voter turnout recorded as polling begins for GTA

Polling for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the semi-autonomous council that governs the Darjeeling Hills in West Bengal, began on a slow note Sunday, said election officials.

Voting for the GTA polls, being conducted after 10 years, began at 7 am Sunday and till 9 am, a 9.98 per cent voter turnout was recorded, added officials. Till 11 am, a 24.4 per cent turnout was reported, they also said.

The presiding officer of the polling station at a primary school in the Balasun Bhanjyang Forest village, Binoy Deep Tamang, said that the voter turnout in the first few hours has been a little low. “Till 11 am, 178 people have voted here out of the total 507 voters in the area,” said Tamang.

Voting is underway for 45 seats spread across three sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong at 922 polling stations. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

Voting is underway for 45 seats spread across three sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong at 922 polling stations. Five polling stations have been marked as critical while 101 are identified as vulnerable. Additional forces have been deployed to conduct a peaceful vote.

As many as 318 candidates are contesting the election for the 45 seats out of which, 210 are Independents and 108 are from various political parties.

Speaking to the Indian Express, young voter Kalpana Thapa said, “Proper supply of water and unemployment is the main issue. We are voting for more opportunities.”

“We are peace lovers. We vote with a smile on our face and wish whoever forms the GTA board resolves basic issues of the people,” said Manju Gurung after casting her vote at 178 Municipal Girls High School.

Voter’s at municipal school Darjeeling to cast their vote for GTA election on Sunday. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

The BJP and its allies Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) have boycotted the GTA polls. Bimal Gurung’s Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which was in power in the GTA for several years, is also not taking part in the polls. A large number of Independent candidates are contesting the GTA election.

The battle, however, is mainly between Glenary’s bakery Ajoy Edwards, the newly-formed Hamro Party, and Anit Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM). The Hamro Party has fielded its candidates in all 45 seats. On the other hand, Anit Thapa’s BGPM party has fielded candidates in 36 seats and has extended support to Independents on other seats. The TMC’s candidates are contesting 10 seats out of 45.

The first uncontested GTA election was held in 2012 when Bimal Gurung’s GTA had formed the board. The political situation in the hills got heated up after the term of that board expired in 2017. For five years, the GTA has been running only through the appointment of administrators.

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