GJM ex-leader Binay Tamang joins TMC ahead of GTA polls

Darjeeling: Former Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Binay Tamang joined the Trinamool Congress in Kolkata on Friday, embarking on a new political journey. In June, Tamang had resigned as president of his faction of the GJM, announcing his decision to embark on a “teshro adhya (third chapter)”.
Tamang was handed the party flag by senior leader and state education minister Bratya Basu.“I have always worked for the people. I feel joining the Trinamool will give me a better and larger scope to help the Hills community,” he said.
Former Kurseong MLA Rohit Sharma also joined TMC along with Tamang.
Tamang and Anit Thapa had rebelled against GJM president Bimal Gurung in 2007 to form the second faction of the party. Thapa went on to float the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) earlier this year.
The BGPM president, however, refused to be drawn into Tamang’s move, saying it was the prerogative of every individual to take decisions in a democracy. “I wish him well for his new political innings,” said Thapa.
The BGPM leader said his party will always work in cooperation with the TMC government. “Everyone is aware that chief minister Mamata Banerjee trusts us. She refused to field her party candidate in the elections. She respects regional politics and its importance in a political alliance,” Thapa added.
Law minister Moloy Ghatak said, “The joining of Tamang and Sharma will bring a significant shift in Hills politics. They are joining the party to be part of the development initiatives taken by Mamata Banerjee.”