Darjeeling: Binay Tamang, a prominent figure in Gorkhaland politics, previously associated with the Trinamool Congress, officially entered the Congress party in Kalimpong, as confirmed by a party representative.
During the event held in Kalimpong, Tamang, the former head of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) responsible for governing the Darjeeling hills in West Bengal, received the Congress party flag from the state Congress chief, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Having previously been a close associate of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung, Tamang later parted ways with him, leading to his affiliation with the ruling party in the state.
In 2019, Binay Tamang resigned from his position as the GTA chairman and contested an assembly by-election independently, backed by the TMC, without success. Subsequently, in 2021, he aligned with the Trinamool Congress but severed ties with the party within a year.
Amid widespread speculation, it's believed that Tamang might emerge as the potential Congress candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in the forthcoming general elections.