DARJEELING:
The BJP-GJM's win in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency has changed
the fulcrum of politics in the Hills. Within hours of the Gorkha
Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung getting the invite to the NDA meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, Gurung asked three GJM MLAs - Harka
Bahadur Chhetri from Kalimpong, Trilok Dewan from Darjeeling and Rohit
Sharma representing Kurseong - to sit in the Opposition in the state assembly.
"I, along with party general secretary Roshan Giri, central committee members Binoy Tamang, Jyoti Rai and study forum member Swaraj Thapa will attend the NDA meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday," said Gurung. On the same breath, Gurung announced the party's decision over its stand towards the ruling Trinamool Congress on Moday. Party CC members, sub-divisional and study forum members including the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Sabhasads and four municipality chairpersons were present in the meeting.
While leaving for Delhi, GJM assistant secretary Binay Tamang said, "Over the past one year, the Trinamool has been treating us as the Opposition despite our having an alliance with them. Our MLAs had been sitting in the treasury benches in the state assembly on goodwill. Sitting in the Opposition bench is a symbolic message of our dissent towards the attitude of the state government towards us."
The GJM has been having a love-hate relationship with Mamata Banerjee over the last one year. The latest round of statehood agitation was a major factor and things took a turn for the worse with the Lok Sabha election. GJM refused to extend support to Baichung Bhutia, who was nominated by chief minister Mamata Banerjee as the Trinamool candidate from the Darjeeling, apparently on the pretext that they were not taken into confidence.
During the second round of statehood agitation in August-September last year, too, the GJM had threatened to ask its three MLAs to sit in the opposition bench due to the excesses of the state government. It had even faxed its decision to the Speaker. Taking stern measures against the agitators, the state government had arrested more than 2,000 GJM activists, including the GTA sabhasads. However, the GJM reversed its decision after it arrived at a mutual understanding with the state government.
Sources within the party, however, said the decision (to sit in the Opposition bench) had risen because of the alliance with the BJP. "It is politically right that the decision to sit in the Opposition bench was taken.
We do have an alliance with the BJP, who are also Trinamool's opposition in Bengal. Therefore, it won't be right for our MLAs to sit in treasury bench," he explained.
The five-member GJM delegation to Delhi will be attending the oath taking ceremony of Surendra Singh Ahluwalia, elected MP from Darjeeling. "We were invited over phone by NDA leaders to attend an emergency meeting that is scheduled to be held in Delhi on Tuesday," Tamang said. The GJM is hoping that Ahluwalia is given a Cabinet portfolio, which would help enhance the statehood demand in Parliament. "We are an ally and being invited to the meeting imply that we will be consulted in their decisions. We are hoping that Ahluwalia will be given an important Cabinet berth keeping his stature in mind," said the GJM assistant secretary.(TOI)
"I, along with party general secretary Roshan Giri, central committee members Binoy Tamang, Jyoti Rai and study forum member Swaraj Thapa will attend the NDA meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday," said Gurung. On the same breath, Gurung announced the party's decision over its stand towards the ruling Trinamool Congress on Moday. Party CC members, sub-divisional and study forum members including the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Sabhasads and four municipality chairpersons were present in the meeting.
While leaving for Delhi, GJM assistant secretary Binay Tamang said, "Over the past one year, the Trinamool has been treating us as the Opposition despite our having an alliance with them. Our MLAs had been sitting in the treasury benches in the state assembly on goodwill. Sitting in the Opposition bench is a symbolic message of our dissent towards the attitude of the state government towards us."
The GJM has been having a love-hate relationship with Mamata Banerjee over the last one year. The latest round of statehood agitation was a major factor and things took a turn for the worse with the Lok Sabha election. GJM refused to extend support to Baichung Bhutia, who was nominated by chief minister Mamata Banerjee as the Trinamool candidate from the Darjeeling, apparently on the pretext that they were not taken into confidence.
During the second round of statehood agitation in August-September last year, too, the GJM had threatened to ask its three MLAs to sit in the opposition bench due to the excesses of the state government. It had even faxed its decision to the Speaker. Taking stern measures against the agitators, the state government had arrested more than 2,000 GJM activists, including the GTA sabhasads. However, the GJM reversed its decision after it arrived at a mutual understanding with the state government.
Sources within the party, however, said the decision (to sit in the Opposition bench) had risen because of the alliance with the BJP. "It is politically right that the decision to sit in the Opposition bench was taken.
We do have an alliance with the BJP, who are also Trinamool's opposition in Bengal. Therefore, it won't be right for our MLAs to sit in treasury bench," he explained.
The five-member GJM delegation to Delhi will be attending the oath taking ceremony of Surendra Singh Ahluwalia, elected MP from Darjeeling. "We were invited over phone by NDA leaders to attend an emergency meeting that is scheduled to be held in Delhi on Tuesday," Tamang said. The GJM is hoping that Ahluwalia is given a Cabinet portfolio, which would help enhance the statehood demand in Parliament. "We are an ally and being invited to the meeting imply that we will be consulted in their decisions. We are hoping that Ahluwalia will be given an important Cabinet berth keeping his stature in mind," said the GJM assistant secretary.(TOI)