Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with BGPM chief Anit Thapa at Kurseong in Darjeeling district on Monday. (Photo: CMO)CHIEF MINISTER Mamata Banerjee reached Darjeeling on Monday for a three-day visit, during which she will attend the oath-taking ceremony of 45 newly elected members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), a senior official said.
The CM landed at Bagdogra around 2 pm and left for Darjeeling by road. She is also scheduled to attend the birth anniversary celebrations of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta.
The Chief Minister will be present at the swearing-in ceremony of GTA members at the ‘Mall Chowrasta’ at 11 am on Tuesday. Jalpaiguri Divisional Commissioner Ajit Ranjan Vardhan will administer the oath of office to the newly elected members.
Former Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Anit Thapa’s newly-launched outfit Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) swept the recent GTA polls, winning 26 out of the total 45 seats while Trinamool Congress (TMC) opened its account, winning five seats.
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July 11 (Wednesday) is the birth anniversary of poet Bhanubhakta. On that day, at 2 pm, a ceremony will be organised near the statue of the poet in the mall. Mamata will also take part in the event. She is scheduled to return to Calcutta on July 14 via Siliguri. The Chief Minister is accompanied by two ministers, Arup Biswas and Indranil Sen.
Meanwhile, MP Shanta Chhetri has again sent WhatsApp messages to senior TMC leaders, informing that she wants to step down as its Darjeeling district president. According to sources, although the party did well in the GTA elections in the hills, Shanta wishes to resign as she lost in her area. This is a cause for concern for the TMC, the sources said.
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