Bagdogra, 19 December: Scotching speculation that GJMM would lend its weight behind Mahendra P Lama ~ the former Sikkim University Vice-Chancellor ~ who has decided to contest from Darjeeling constituency during next year’s Lok Sabha election, a senior GJMM leader and MLA from Darjeeling, Triloke Dewan said the academic figures nowhere in the party’s electoral configurations. When quizzed by the media on the issue at Bagdogra airport, he said: “Our president, Bimal Gurung has said it is too late as far as the possibility of the party supporting Mr Lama is concerned.”
Mr Dewan along with the party central committee member, R B Bhujel is accompanying Mr Gurung to Kolkata where the party president is scheduled to meet the chief minister tomorrow. The party general secretary, Roshan Giri would join them from Delhi tomorrow, it is learnt.
Mr Dewan said the Lok Sabha election might figure in course of Mr Gurung’s one to one meeting with the chief minister tomorrow.
"As we are all moving in the election mode it is likely that the issue would come up during Mr Gurung’s meeting with Miss Banerjee,” he said.
Asked whether there is any possibility for GJMM to forge an electoral alliance with the ruling party of the state, he said it is too early to comment. “However, we have decided that a local candidate should be fielded this time. This is in deference to the people’s will. They do not want an outsider to be foisted on them,” he said.
Notably, senior BJP leader and former Union minister, Jaswant Singh was elected from Darjeeling with GJMM support in the last election of 2009.
Asked whether there is any possibility of Trinamul Congress fielding the former Indian footballer, Mr Baichung Bhutia from the Darjeeling constituency, Mr Dewan answered in the negative, citing that Mr Bhutia hails from Sikkim.
Reiterating his party’s stance that the development boards catering to the interests of the myriad ethnic and sub-ethnic communities should operate under the aegis of the GTA, he said it would amount to gross violation of the GTA Agreement and the GTA Act if the state government decides to run these boards directly. “This is a matter of jurisdiction. The state government cannot step in on the transferred subjects,” he added.
Mr Dewan along with the party central committee member, R B Bhujel is accompanying Mr Gurung to Kolkata where the party president is scheduled to meet the chief minister tomorrow. The party general secretary, Roshan Giri would join them from Delhi tomorrow, it is learnt.
Mr Dewan said the Lok Sabha election might figure in course of Mr Gurung’s one to one meeting with the chief minister tomorrow.
"As we are all moving in the election mode it is likely that the issue would come up during Mr Gurung’s meeting with Miss Banerjee,” he said.
Asked whether there is any possibility for GJMM to forge an electoral alliance with the ruling party of the state, he said it is too early to comment. “However, we have decided that a local candidate should be fielded this time. This is in deference to the people’s will. They do not want an outsider to be foisted on them,” he said.
Notably, senior BJP leader and former Union minister, Jaswant Singh was elected from Darjeeling with GJMM support in the last election of 2009.
Asked whether there is any possibility of Trinamul Congress fielding the former Indian footballer, Mr Baichung Bhutia from the Darjeeling constituency, Mr Dewan answered in the negative, citing that Mr Bhutia hails from Sikkim.
Reiterating his party’s stance that the development boards catering to the interests of the myriad ethnic and sub-ethnic communities should operate under the aegis of the GTA, he said it would amount to gross violation of the GTA Agreement and the GTA Act if the state government decides to run these boards directly. “This is a matter of jurisdiction. The state government cannot step in on the transferred subjects,” he added.