Thursday, Sep 04, 2025 22:30 [IST]
Last Update: Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025 16:50 [IST]
DARJEELING, : The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) on Wednesday stated
that it has submitted all required responses and supporting documents to the
Election Commission (EC) in reply to a show-cause notice regarding its
political activity.
The
EC had recently issued notices to 12 unrecognized political parties in West
Bengal, including the GNLF, seeking an explanation as to why their registration
should not be cancelled due to their failure to contest elections in recent
years.
According
to GNLF spokesperson Y. Lama, the notice was primarily issued on the grounds
that the party had not contested any elections in the last six years. He
informed that the party's legal team submitted the necessary affidavit before
the August 27 deadline.
A
hearing was subsequently held at the EC office in Kolkata on August 29, where
GNLF president Mann Ghising and the party’s legal advisor presented their
response in person.
Lama
clarified that although the party had not contested elections independently, it
has been active through an alliance with the BJP. He pointed out that GNLF
secretary general Neeraj Zimba contested and won the Darjeeling Vidhan Sabha
by-election in 2019 as a BJP candidate, and retained the seat in the 2022
elections, continuing as the sitting MLA from Darjeeling.
The
party also extended support to BJP candidate Raju Bista during the 2019 and
2024 Lok Sabha elections, both of which he won from the Darjeeling
constituency.
In
addition to parliamentary and assembly polls, Lama said that the GNLF had
fielded its own candidates during the 2022 Darjeeling Municipality elections
and the 2023 panchayat elections in the GTA region, securing some wins. All
relevant documentation has been submitted to the EC as proof of continued
political activity, he added.
Regarding
the upcoming 2026 Vidhan Sabha elections, Lama stated that no decision has been
taken yet. He said that the party’s central committee will decide whether to
support another political party or field its own candidates.
