GJM to raise state demand in assembly

DARJEELING: Four Gorkha Janmukti Morcha MLAs will take oath on May 26 after which they hope to work for fulfilling their demand of Gorkhaland state.Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri stressed the need to have all the ground work done before resuming the talks." We will meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee and senior ministers," he said.A GJM delegation led by Roshan Giri had met the chief minister on May 20 in Kolkata. Along with the four MLAs , Giri and three central committee leaders will leave for Kolkata on Wednesday.
After their victory, GJM MLAs had made it clear that they would raise the demand for Gorkhaland in the Assembly. Chhetri said: "People voted for us because of the Gorkhaland issue."
GJM had earlier settled for an interim council for the Hills. The party, however, changed track after three of its supporters were killed in police firing on February 8, 2011 at Shibchu in Jalpaiguri district.
Prior to the interim council arrangement, GJM had participated in 11 rounds of talks with the central and state governments to find an amicable solution to the issue.
"The chief minister has promised to solve the Hills problem within three months. We will see how trustworthy she is," said the MLA.
The chief minister has said several times that she is against any further division of the state.

Political observers view her promise to set up a mini-secretariat in north Bengal as a sign of her political will to solve problems of that region.
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