Darjeeling: It could be an acid test for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Darjeeling, which at one time had introduced the party to Bengal’s electoral turf. With names being deleted or appended to the adjudicated list, simmering resentment is clearly visible.
In 2009, holding the hands of Bimal Gurung’s Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and piggybacking on the Gorkhaland demand, BJP candidate Jaswant Singh had won from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, the lone BJP victory in West Bengal at the time. Since then, there has been no looking back for the saffron brigade.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), projected repeatedly by the BJP, especially by MP Raju Bista, was described as an effective tool to drive away scores of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, allegedly changing the demography of the Hills. Assurances were also given that not a single Gorkha name would be struck off the electoral rolls, which initially generated enthusiasm in the region.
However, in the Darjeeling district, the number of voters has decreased by 1,44,648 compared to the 2025 rolls, while in the Kalimpong district, the decrease is 18,931. The number of adjudication cases stands at 24,658 in the Darjeeling Assembly constituency, 14,534 in Kurseong and 6,625 in Kalimpong. Even Avinash and Nanda, son and daughter of Bimal Gurung, have figured in the adjudication list.
Many people are now finding it difficult to get their names restored to the rolls through Form 6. Anti-BJP posters linked to the SIR have also appeared in Darjeeling, signed simply as “Janta”.
Meanwhile, Anit Thapa, president of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), launched a scathing attack on the BJP, describing February 28 — the day the rolls were published in West Bengal — as a “Black Day” for the Gorkha community over the alleged deletion of Gorkha names from the voter list. Addressing a party workers’ meeting at Rangbull, Thapa expressed strong dissatisfaction. “The Hills have supported the BJP for nearly 20 years. If they could not grant Gorkhaland or provide Scheduled Tribe status, we accepted it. But now attempts are being made to erase our identity,” he said.
He alleged the move could render Gorkhas stateless and accused the BJP of implementing a “Detect, Delete, Deport” policy. Announcing protests after the President of India’s visit to Darjeeling, Thapa said: “We will welcome the President, but once the visit concludes, we will intensify our protests.”
Ajoy Edwards, Chief Convenor, Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front has shot a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal demanding reinduction of eligible voters whose names have been deleted; Adjudication cases, especially those supported by parental linkage and documented family records be resolved in time; clear public instructions, including defined timelines and all genuine cases be resolved before the announcement of the election schedule.