Siliguri/Kurseong, 29 January: In a significant political development, Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) leaders, including the president Mr Bimal Gurung and general secretary Mr Roshan Giri, have accepted the Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s invitation to join the rally at Brigade in Kolkata tomorrow. In doing so, the GJMM is mulling over extending support to the CM’s candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, Mr Baichung Bhutia, party sources said today.
The GJMM has already confirmed to the Trinamul Congress leadership that its three MLAs from Darjeeling Hills would support Miss Banerjee’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections. As a result, the current MP and senior BJP leader, MR Jashwant Singh’s fate is uncertain in the Darjeeling LS seat in the upcoming general elections.
Having lost faith in Mr Singh, the GJMM had adopted a resolution a few months ago that the party should either field a suitable local candidate or support a local candidate belonging to a mainstream political party.
After the GJMM leaders attend the Kolkata rally, the name of senior Delhi-based journalist Swaraj Thapa, whose name recently figured in the Hills as the GJMM’s candidate for Darjeeling, might be dropped, sources said.
The GJMM leadership is scheduled to hold a meeting on 5 February in Darjeeling to take a final call on the LS candidate and on whether it should support the Trinamul candidate.
Sources further confirmed that Miss Banerjee, Mr Gurung, Mr Bhutia, the former Indian football star, and Mr Swaraj Thapa held a meeting on the night of 23 January at Gymkhana Club in Darjeeling, where the CM had hosted a dinner party.
In Kurseong yesterday, Mr Gurung said that he is “developing relations with a political personality (Mamata Banerjee) against my will.” “I decided to revive the relationship with the state government after the Hill people left the fresh agitation for statehood and demanded development. I am now working for development,” he said as he laid the foundation stone for a ropeway project in the town.
More than 10 GJMM leaders, including important GTA members and MLAs, are scheduled to attend the rally at the Brigade.
Kurseong MLA Mr Rohit Sharma, who will attend the rally, said his party will decide on the matter in a meeting to be held on 5 February.
“We will then decide whether we will field our party candidate or extend support to the Trinamul Congress’ candidate,” he said over telephone.
Notably, an academic, Mr Mahendra P Lama, has started projecting himself as an independent candidate for the Darjeeling LS seat, while the All India Gorkha League and other outfits, including the Bharatiya Gorkha Parishang, have supported him.
The CPI-M may field its party candidate Saman Pathak, a former Rajya Sabha member, for the Darjeeling seat.
On the other hand, the Gorkha Rastriya Congress will field its candidate highlighting the issue of Darjeeling-Sikkim unification.
The Hill people are, however, in the dark as yet on the Congress and BJP candidates.
A senior Congress leader, Debaprasad Roy, said his party had not selected the candidate for the Hills.(SNS)
The GJMM has already confirmed to the Trinamul Congress leadership that its three MLAs from Darjeeling Hills would support Miss Banerjee’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections. As a result, the current MP and senior BJP leader, MR Jashwant Singh’s fate is uncertain in the Darjeeling LS seat in the upcoming general elections.
Having lost faith in Mr Singh, the GJMM had adopted a resolution a few months ago that the party should either field a suitable local candidate or support a local candidate belonging to a mainstream political party.
After the GJMM leaders attend the Kolkata rally, the name of senior Delhi-based journalist Swaraj Thapa, whose name recently figured in the Hills as the GJMM’s candidate for Darjeeling, might be dropped, sources said.
The GJMM leadership is scheduled to hold a meeting on 5 February in Darjeeling to take a final call on the LS candidate and on whether it should support the Trinamul candidate.
Sources further confirmed that Miss Banerjee, Mr Gurung, Mr Bhutia, the former Indian football star, and Mr Swaraj Thapa held a meeting on the night of 23 January at Gymkhana Club in Darjeeling, where the CM had hosted a dinner party.
In Kurseong yesterday, Mr Gurung said that he is “developing relations with a political personality (Mamata Banerjee) against my will.” “I decided to revive the relationship with the state government after the Hill people left the fresh agitation for statehood and demanded development. I am now working for development,” he said as he laid the foundation stone for a ropeway project in the town.
More than 10 GJMM leaders, including important GTA members and MLAs, are scheduled to attend the rally at the Brigade.
Kurseong MLA Mr Rohit Sharma, who will attend the rally, said his party will decide on the matter in a meeting to be held on 5 February.
“We will then decide whether we will field our party candidate or extend support to the Trinamul Congress’ candidate,” he said over telephone.
Notably, an academic, Mr Mahendra P Lama, has started projecting himself as an independent candidate for the Darjeeling LS seat, while the All India Gorkha League and other outfits, including the Bharatiya Gorkha Parishang, have supported him.
The CPI-M may field its party candidate Saman Pathak, a former Rajya Sabha member, for the Darjeeling seat.
On the other hand, the Gorkha Rastriya Congress will field its candidate highlighting the issue of Darjeeling-Sikkim unification.
The Hill people are, however, in the dark as yet on the Congress and BJP candidates.
A senior Congress leader, Debaprasad Roy, said his party had not selected the candidate for the Hills.(SNS)