The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today
proposed the name of BJP leader SS Ahluwalia as the candidate for the
Lok Sabha election from Darjeeling.
GJM president Bimal Gurung today held a
series of meetings at the party’s Patleybas office with the study forum,
central committee and frontal organisations for which the party's block
and zonal units were also invited.
GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told
the media later that "our party president has proposed the name of
Ahluwalia for the Darjeeling seat. We have taken into account
Ahluwalia’s stature as a parliamentarian who has also remained Rajya
Sabha deputy leader and a four-time MP. We have also kept in mind the
fact that Ahluwalia is vastly experienced and has been a member of
various parliamentary committees and we feel he will definitely help our
cause".
He added, "We have proposed the
candidate's name and it is being discussed by the BJP this very moment
at its parliamentary board meeting. Ahluwalia's name may be officially
announced tonight or by tomorrow morning."
Giri maintained that the GJM’s decision
to support the BJP once again instead of a local candidate as has been
the demand in the hills is a tactful and a well-thought out move.
"Our agenda is that of statehood. We
need the support of BJP leaders and ministers in Parliament. We feel
fielding a 'bhumiputra' (son of the soil) will not help our cause under
such a backdrop," argued the GJM general secretary.
When prodded further, he said, "Other
factors we took into account were that the BJP has always supported the
creation of smaller states such as Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and
Jharkhand. Besides, it was the BJP who opposed and stalled the Sixth
Schedule bill in the Lok Sabha in 2007. Our issue of a separate state
was also included in the BJP's election manifesto in 2009. Sitting MP
Jaswant Singh has been the voice of the Gorkahs in Parliament and
leaders such as Sushma Swaraj and Rajiv Pratap Rudi have time and again
raised our demand in the House. In fact, Rudi even wanted to place a
private bill in Parliament on the issue.”
According to the GJM general secretary,
deliberations are in progress to name the BJP candidate from the
Alipurduar seat, while the party has accepted the candidate fielded from
the Jalpaiguri constituency. The GJM has appealed to all to support and
vote for the BJP candidate in the three seats of North Bengal even as
it asserted its relations with the Trinamool Congress have not soured.
"Our relation with the TMC is not over.
The GTA is functioning well and things are on the right path. Of course,
we are aware that it is election time and the TMC including other
parties will have their own issues to promote," remarked Giri.(EOIC)