Kolkata, Nov 26 (IANS): Estranged Trinamool Congress leader Binay Tamang, who is influential in the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimgpong, and Kurseong in north West Bengal, on Sunday joined Congress in present of its state party President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Chowdhury handed over the Congress flag to Tamang at a colorful programme at Kalimpong town hall on Sunday afternoon.

"I had contributed in ensuring the victory of BJP from Darjeeling Lok Sabha thrice. But BJP has done nothing for the hills. Later I joined Trinamool Congress also. But the state’s ruling party also did nothing for the hills. So I have joined Congress this time and I am hopeful that I will get the chance to serve the people of hills in the country’s oldest national party," Tamang said afterwards.

This is the fourth innings in the political career of Tamang with different political forces.

In his initial days he was a close confidant of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Bimal Gurung. Thereafter, he parted ways with Gurung and joined the Trinamool and very fast became an influential leader of the ruling party in the hills. But, he started distancing himself from the Trinamool since the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls as the latter started giving more importance to Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) chief Anit Thapa, who is currently the chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA with its support.

For some time, Tamang tried to maintain an independent identity and also made an attempt to float a new joint platform in the hills jointly with the GJM and Ajay Edwards-founded Hamro Party. He first gave hints of his growing closeness to Congress in May this year.

"The hills of Darjeeling gifted the BJP with an MP thrice in 2009, 2014 and 2019. None of them were sons of the soil. But what did the people of the hills get out of them? Rather Gorkha Hill Council was formed in 1986 when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. Similarly, in 2007 the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration was formed with Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister," he said then.