Kalimpong, March 31: Darjeeling Lok
Sabha Independent candidate Mahendra P. Lama today said he would extend
support to the BJP if the party’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra
Modi gave a written commitment stating that a separate state of
Gorkhaland would be created within six months of his coming to power.
Speaking at an
interactive session at the Town Hall here, Lama said: “When the
Telangana Bill was introduced in Parliament, the BJP did not speak a
word in favour of Gorkhaland. The Telangana Bill would not have been
passed without the support of the NDA. ...I will extend my support to
the BJP if the party’s prime ministerial candidate gives in writing to
create a separate state within six months of coming to power.”
The event was
organised by the Darjeeling-Dooars United Development Fund. Lama is the
founder president of the apolitical organisation.
The BJP has
fielded S.S. Ahluwalia, a national vice-president of the party, from
Darjeeling and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is backing him.
Lama, the former
vice-chancellor of Sikkim University, said the BJP MP from Darjeeling,
Jaswant Singh, had told him during a meeting in Delhi in August last
year that his party was not in favour of Gorkhaland. “The second thing
he told me was that ‘my party would not even want to hear the word
Gorkhaland. If I were to raise the issue in Lok Sabha, I will be ousted
from the party for the second time’. I felt sad,” Lama said.
Singh was recently
sacked from the BJP for the second time after he decided to contest as
an Independent from Barmer in Rajasthan.
Yesterday, Morcha
chief Bimal Gurung had sought Lama’s support for Ahluwalia to ensure
that the hill votes were not divided. Ahluwalia had sought support from
the CPRM, which chose to back Lama.(TT)