The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha(GJM) spearheading the movement for a separate Gorkhaland state is not bothered that its main demand doesn’t figure in the BJP’s election manifesto 2014 released on Monday.
The GJM is supporting BJP candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat S S Ahluwalia while the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) supports soccer icon and TMC candidate Bhaichung Bhutia.
GJM legislator and spokesman Dr Harka Bahadur Chhetri said: “As far as I know, the manifesto mentions the demands and aspirations of the people of Darjeeling hills. It also said that smaller states were needed as it has been proved to be easier to govern.
“We have a political relationship with the BJP since 2007 and it will continue. If they come to power they will certainly honour our demand as it is very much within the Indian constitution. It was a BJP government that created smaller states and the party supported Telangana as well.” However, the West Bengal BJP president reiterated: “It’s natural that the creation of Gorkhaland will not figure in our manifesto. West Bengal will never be divided when we come to power with Modiji as the Prime Minister.
“Governance of small states is a different issue. The key to resolving the problem in Darjeeling hills is development and not creating a state with only three sub-divisions,” he said. Chhetri reacted saying: “We are not concerned about what the state leadership said. The BJP central leadership is supreme. The state leadership might oppose the central command but that doesn’t affect the final decision. We have seen it within national parties when Telangana was created.
“We are confident about our relationship with the BJP and time will prove us correct,” he said.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, BJP candidate Jaswant Singh openly supported the Gorkhaland demand and won by a margin of 2,53,000 votes with the GJM’s support.
Meanwhile, People’s Forum, a socio-political group opposed to the GJM, extended support to Ahluwalia. People’s Forum general secretary Prabin Gurung said the group had set aside their differences with the GJM in the interests of the hill people and the creation of Gorkhaland.
Gurung asked GNLF chief Subhash Ghising to rethink its support for the TMC candidate.
The ruling TMC appears to have got a shot in the arm as Gorkhaland wasn’t mentioned in the BJP’s poll manifesto and hopes that this will improve Bhutia’s election prospects.
Omar Slams Manifesto
Dubbing the BJP manifesto as “mere sloganeering”, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said its promises on Common Civil Code, Ram temple and abrogation of Article 370 of Constitution were ‘handles’ for the party to grab power by ‘hoodwinking’ people.
Omar at the same time said no party could revoke Article 370 that grants special status to J&K without re-opening the entire issue of accession of the state to India.
The GJM is supporting BJP candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat S S Ahluwalia while the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) supports soccer icon and TMC candidate Bhaichung Bhutia.
GJM legislator and spokesman Dr Harka Bahadur Chhetri said: “As far as I know, the manifesto mentions the demands and aspirations of the people of Darjeeling hills. It also said that smaller states were needed as it has been proved to be easier to govern.
“We have a political relationship with the BJP since 2007 and it will continue. If they come to power they will certainly honour our demand as it is very much within the Indian constitution. It was a BJP government that created smaller states and the party supported Telangana as well.” However, the West Bengal BJP president reiterated: “It’s natural that the creation of Gorkhaland will not figure in our manifesto. West Bengal will never be divided when we come to power with Modiji as the Prime Minister.
“Governance of small states is a different issue. The key to resolving the problem in Darjeeling hills is development and not creating a state with only three sub-divisions,” he said. Chhetri reacted saying: “We are not concerned about what the state leadership said. The BJP central leadership is supreme. The state leadership might oppose the central command but that doesn’t affect the final decision. We have seen it within national parties when Telangana was created.
“We are confident about our relationship with the BJP and time will prove us correct,” he said.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, BJP candidate Jaswant Singh openly supported the Gorkhaland demand and won by a margin of 2,53,000 votes with the GJM’s support.
Meanwhile, People’s Forum, a socio-political group opposed to the GJM, extended support to Ahluwalia. People’s Forum general secretary Prabin Gurung said the group had set aside their differences with the GJM in the interests of the hill people and the creation of Gorkhaland.
Gurung asked GNLF chief Subhash Ghising to rethink its support for the TMC candidate.
The ruling TMC appears to have got a shot in the arm as Gorkhaland wasn’t mentioned in the BJP’s poll manifesto and hopes that this will improve Bhutia’s election prospects.
Omar Slams Manifesto
Dubbing the BJP manifesto as “mere sloganeering”, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said its promises on Common Civil Code, Ram temple and abrogation of Article 370 of Constitution were ‘handles’ for the party to grab power by ‘hoodwinking’ people.
Omar at the same time said no party could revoke Article 370 that grants special status to J&K without re-opening the entire issue of accession of the state to India.
Source: newindianexpress.com