Darjeeling, December 23 (Siliguri Chronicle) – The Opposition camp in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Monday wrote to Centre-appointed interlocutor Pankaj Kumar Singh, seeking an immediate meeting to discuss issues affecting the region.
The letter was signed by eight GTA Sabha members, including former GTA board of administrators chairman Binay Tamang and Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) president Ajoy Edwards.
The leaders maintain equal distance from both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, the two principal rival parties in Bengal, underscoring the significance of their move to seek an appointment with Singh.
Political observers believe that the Centre-appointed interlocutor, tasked with addressing issues in Darjeeling, the Dooars and the Terai, could prove advantageous for the BJP in the run-up to the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The signatories of the letter said they were hopeful that “you (Singh) will certainly establish contact with us. Through his letter, we formally request an early, official meeting with you”.
The camp stated that in the June 26, 2022 GTA election, “out of the 45 seats, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) secured 27 seats, Hamro Party secured (the party founded by Edwards) secured 8, the All India Trinamool Congress secured 5 and Independent candidates also won 5 seats.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on November 17, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the functioning of the interlocutor’s office.
This was her second letter objecting to the appointment of Pankaj Kumar Singh, a former deputy national security adviser, as an “interlocutor and government representative” to address issues in the region. She had earlier raised similar objections in a letter dated October 18.
“Kindly refer to my letter dated October 18, 2025 requesting you to reconsider and revoke the appointment of retired IPS officer as the interlocutor for the issues relating to the Gorkhas in Darjeeling hills, which your office had promptly acknowledged and advised Home Minister to look into (copy enclosed),” Mamata had said.
Mamata in her second letter on November 17 said that despite the PM’s advice “the Office of the Interlocutor under Ministry of Home Affairs, has, vide Memo dated 10th November 2025, communicated that the office of the interlocutor has already started functioning.”
“This is really shocking,” wrote Mamata and added that the “unilateral and arbitrary action of the Central government” was unconstitutional, without jurisdiction and devoid of legal sanctity.
Observers of hill politics said Mamata Banerjee’s letter carried several underlying political messages, with much to be read between the lines.
“Mamata seems to be building a narrative that the BJP led Centre is looking to divide Bengal. This comes at a time when the Bengal Assembly poll bugle has already been blown and the BJP seems to be putting in every effort to overthrow the Mamata government from power,” said the observer.
“In the letter, Mamata has highlighted that ‘The Darjeeling region is an inseparable and integral part of the State of West Bengal’. This is probably to suggest and create a narrative that BJP is trying to divide the state by appointing an interlocutor,” an observer said.
Mamata’s letter also talks about “assault on the autonomy of the state of West
Bengal.”
“The appointment of an interlocutor to deal with issues already governed by a valid State law is a blatant encroachment upon the federal structure of the nation and an assault on the autonomy of the State of West Bengal…,” the chief minister had written.
