Gorkha leader Binay Tamang joins Congress

Tamang, a former chairman of the semi-autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration that governs the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal, accepted the Congress flag from state party chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Kolkata:Gorkha leader Binay Tamang, who was earlier with the Trinamool Congress, joined the Congress at Kalimpong on Sunday, a party leader said.

Tamang, a former chairman of the semi-autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) that governs the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal, accepted the flag of the grand old party from state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the hill town. Tamang was a close aide of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung before falling out with him and joining the ruling party in the state.

"I joined Trinamool Congress to restore peace in the hills. But there I was tied hand and foot. I was not allowed to do any such work. That's why I joined the Congress. The hill people voted for BJP MPs thrice. But BJP did nothing. Whatever work was completed was done during the Congress. That is why I needed a bigger platform to stop the BJP. I will appeal to Adhir Chowdhury, not to just sit me down. Let me be given the responsibility and I will try my best to fulfil it," Tamang said.

Adhir Chowdhury said, "A leader like Binay Tamang joining the Congress is really a great achievement. With his joining, the Congress has become stronger in the hills. There are many problems in the hills. The Congress has solved them before. It still wants to do it. All the development in the hills was done during the Congress period. Congress will continue to do so in the future."

In 2019, Tamang had stepped down as chairman of GTA and had unsuccessfully contested an assembly by-election as an independent candidate with the support of the TMC. Later, in 2021, he joined the TMC but left the party within a year. Speculations are rife that Tamang might be made the Congress candidate for Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in the next general elections.