Darjeeling, Feb. 4: The Gorkha
Janmukti Morcha has invited leaders of various hill communities to
attend the party’s meeting at Jamuni in Darjeeling tomorrow where the
party’s stand on the coming Lok Sabha elections is expected to be taken.
All Morcha portfolio holders in the
hills as well as in the Terai and the Dooars have been invited to the
meeting. A “friendship feast” will be organised after the political
meeting.
“Morcha MLAs,
central committee members, leaders of the over 25 frontal organisations
of the party, presidents and secretaries at the block and GTA levels and
leaders of various communities have been invited to Jamuni tomorrow,”
said a senior Morcha leader. The invitation card read: “With best
compliments of the New Year 2014. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha party has
organised an important meeting and prithi bhoj (friendship
feast). In this programme the founder president of the party and the
chief executive of GTA, Bimal Gurung, will be present. Central
Committee, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.”
The priti bhoj (friendship feast) will be held on the banks of the Little Rangit river at Jamuni, 20km from Darjeeling.
Sources said
Lepcha leaders from Darjeeling who were perceived to be close to the
Morcha have been invited to Jamuni tomorrow. However, they said, no
member of the Lepcha development board has been invited.
The decision to
invite leaders of various communities, including Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes, to the event comes at a time several communities have
approached the state government to form their own development boards.
During her recent visit to the hills, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had
said a development board would be formed for the Tamangs.
The Lepchas were the first in the hills to get such a board, a move that had active support of the chief minister.
Many other
communities such as the Sherpas are also clamouring for a development
board under the state government. “The invitation to community leaders
to tomorrow’s event is an attempt to bring them closer to the Morcha in
the run up to the Lok Sabha election,” said an observer.
Most of the
community leaders from Darjeeling, during an informal interaction today,
confirmed the invitation and also their participation. “There is no
harm in attending the event,” said a leader who didn’t want to be named.
Binay Tamang, the
assistant secretary of the Morcha, said: “Our party president, Bimal
Gurung, will be addressing the gathering tomorrow. He will speak on
issues related to the recent political developments in the hills.”
Sources said the
Morcha leadership would also discuss its strategy for the upcoming Lok
Sabha election at the meeting tomorrow. “However, if the party decides
to field its own candidate, its unlikely that his/her name will be
declared tomorrow,” said a Morcha source.(TT)
GJMM likely to clear the air on Lok Sabha candidate on Wednesday
Darjeeling, 4 February
The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) is likely to break the ice on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections when the party organises a mammoth gathering at Jamuni here tomorrow.
"The Lok Sabha elections will be the main agenda for tomorrow's gathering," the GJMM secretary, Mr Jyoti Rai, said.
Though he did not say whether the party will field its own candidate for the Darjeeling seat, or support the candidate of other parties, he said tomorrow’s meeting is expected to “wipe off all the speculations that have been doing the rounds.”
GJMM chief Mr Bimal Gurung had earlier said his party would take a call on the LS candidate during the party's gathering tomorrow.
It is learnt that the GJMM has invited various communities and organisations in the Darjeeling Hills to attend tomorrow's programme.
"Food has been arranged for at least 5000 people," a source said.
The Trinamul Congress in the Hills has already decided to field its own candidate for the Darjeeling LS seat.
The spokesperson for another largest party in the Hills, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM), Mr Govind Chhetri, said the GJMM is very likely to support the Trinamul candidate.
"Going by the recent hand shake between Bimal Gurung and (chief minister) Mamata Banerjee, the GJMM will support the candidate of the Trinamul Congress," he said.
According to Mr Chhetri, his party will support a candidate who will “espouse the cause for Gorkhaland.” He said his party will announce its decision within a week.(SNS)
The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) is likely to break the ice on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections when the party organises a mammoth gathering at Jamuni here tomorrow.
"The Lok Sabha elections will be the main agenda for tomorrow's gathering," the GJMM secretary, Mr Jyoti Rai, said.
Though he did not say whether the party will field its own candidate for the Darjeeling seat, or support the candidate of other parties, he said tomorrow’s meeting is expected to “wipe off all the speculations that have been doing the rounds.”
GJMM chief Mr Bimal Gurung had earlier said his party would take a call on the LS candidate during the party's gathering tomorrow.
It is learnt that the GJMM has invited various communities and organisations in the Darjeeling Hills to attend tomorrow's programme.
"Food has been arranged for at least 5000 people," a source said.
The Trinamul Congress in the Hills has already decided to field its own candidate for the Darjeeling LS seat.
The spokesperson for another largest party in the Hills, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM), Mr Govind Chhetri, said the GJMM is very likely to support the Trinamul candidate.
"Going by the recent hand shake between Bimal Gurung and (chief minister) Mamata Banerjee, the GJMM will support the candidate of the Trinamul Congress," he said.
According to Mr Chhetri, his party will support a candidate who will “espouse the cause for Gorkhaland.” He said his party will announce its decision within a week.(SNS)