Ajay Edwards, an independent candidate seeking the Darjeeling seat. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Posters demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland on the walls of Darjeeling town have faded. It has been nine years since the region witnessed the last violent movement for the independent state of Gorkhaland in 2017, when the region was cut off from the rest of the country for 100 days and nearly a dozen lives were lost.
From the united political agenda of Gorkhaland, the politics of the Darjeeling hills has shifted over the past few years. On March 27, 2026, like various parts of West Bengal, Darjeeling hills witnessed a huge procession on the occasion of Ram Navami. A procession with hundreds of people waving Hindutva flags passed through the heart of Darjeeling.
Published – 18 Apr 2026 22:04 IST
