Siliguri, Oct. 9 -- The demand for a separate Gorkhaland state dominated political developments in the Darjeeling hills on Friday, with the Gorkhaland Apex Committee (GAC), the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) and other hill leaders placing their respective positions before the interlocutor appointed to examine the long-standing issue.

A GAC delegation met the three-member team led by interlocutor Pankaj Kumar Singh, along with union Home Ministry Joint Secretary Arvind Khare and West Bengal Home Secretary Sanghamitra Sarkar, in Darjeeling. The meeting lasted around 45 minutes.

After the meeting, committee member Dr Mahendra P. Lama said the delegation had explained the historical background of the Gorkhaland demand, previous i...