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Within just three months of its formation, the Hamro Party got a thumping majority in the Darjeeling Municipality elections. Bagging 18 seats of a total of 32 seats, the fledgling outfit not only defeated the major parties, but also became the first party in West Bengal’s hill region in nearly four decades to win an election without giving the slogan of a separate Ghorkhaland.
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In the city municipal polls, the Trinamool Congress had fielded candidates from 10 wards, the BJP from nine and the CPM from two. Thirty other candidates were also in the fray.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Democracy prevails in Darjeeling now. A new outfit won the election in which five parties were in the fray.
We also got one seat. We are happy to see that the voting happened peacefully in the hill region. We will organise GTA elections soon.”
Hamro chief Ajoy Edwards wrote in a social media post, “After decades, people of Darjeeling came out of fear and voted for the party of their choice. This happened for first time in history of Darjeeling. We will continue our fight.”
Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJM) leader Benoy Tamang said, “We accept and respect the verdict. We will give full support to the new MC office-bearers. Earlier, we had only one councillor but this time we have two. Our vote share has also increased to 38 per cent.”
A senior TMC leader of hill areas said that the Humro Party got a massive support from the people of Darjeeling because of its relentless work for the people of the city during the pandemic. Their slogans which focused on social development and not on Ghorkhaland and other issues like a separate statehood also attracted people of Darjeeling.”
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