The isolation of GJM president Bimal Gurung

“That has been his thought for some time now. But how and when it will happen, it is too early to say yet,” said senior party leader Roshan Giri.

Pradhan, who is the GTA chairman, was once one of Gurung’s closest aides but the two had fallen apart over the last year-and-a-half. Pradhan met Mamata in Sukna Tuesday, followed by his crossing over.

The GTA has been barely functional since it was formed following an agreement that the hills would be administered by the authority.

Instead, Mamata has set up various development boards that function directly under her government rather than the GTA. Not one of the mandated annual tripartite meetings — Centre, state, GTA — has taken place. A GJM delegation went to Delhi earlier this month and met central leaders to complain that the state hasn’t been allowing the GTA to function.

Gurung had called off the statehood movement in 2011 and agreed to the formation of the GTA but has not been able to keep promises he had made during the elections that year. “In 2011 the agreement was signed between the GJM and the state, and in 2012 the GTA was formed. Lots of provisions were made and many plans outlined, which should have been undertaken by now,” said a GJM insider. “The West Bengal government has done nothing so far. The GJM signed the agreement in good faith, so naturally it feels betrayed.”

One of the major issues unresolved is unemployment. It was largely to the promise of jobs that the GJM owes its support base in the hills.

GJM leaders say no schoolteacher has been appointed since 2000. “A School Services Commission was to be set up under the GTA by the government. This was not done,” said a GJM leader. The GTA has been appointing “voluntary” or “temporary’’ teachers at less than half the normal salary.

“The situation is such that when a principal retires, a senior teacher is put in charge. Then when he or she retires, a voluntary teacher is put in charge. How can things run like this?” The leader said the same thing is happening with college teachers. He said the only government office where recruitment is carried out is the district magistrate’s office, which works directly under the state. A Subordinate Selection Board was promised but has not been set up.

The GJM is also upset that no panchayat elections have been held in the hills since 2000. “For panchayat elections to be held, the Constitution needs to be amended, and for that the state government would need to approach the Centre. They have not done that,” the leader said. “There are 700-1,000 vacancies in panchayats at the present date. Development work under state and central projects supposed to be executed through panchayats, therefore, just doesn’t get done,” the leader said.

Rather than a panchayat system, the state has set up the development boards for various communities, such as Tamangs and Lepchas.

Apart from the fact that these function directly under the government, GJM leaders also accuse Mamata of dividing the Hill community.

“If elections were to be held tomorrow, the GJM would fare badly, largely because the GTA hasn’t been able to reduce unemployment,” a GJM insider admitted. “There is a possibility that when municipal elections are held later this year, the GJM will two of the four municipalities. We are likely to lose at least Kalimpong.”

The loss of Pradhan is a blow to Gurung ahead of the elections. Popular with GJM party workers, he was also one of the party’s key election organisers and coordinators with other parties. Putting aside their differences, Gurung made a last-ditch effort by calling on Pradhan Monday.

After joining Trinamool, Pradhan said, “Who is there in the GJM? None of the leaders apart from Bimal Gurung and a couple of others.

Who is going to to the Centre and ask for Gorkhaland. We were the ones who would negotiate on behalf of the GJM.”

Insiders hinted that Gurung will try and stall the municipal elections as well as the GTA elections next year.