GTA chief: Govt rejects Biswal’s candidature

Sabyasachi Bandopdhyay, IE, Kolkata, Fri Aug 23 2013: By refusing to accept Birkhu Biswal as the new chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the state government seems to have invited a fresh confrontation with the GJM even as it readies itself to tackle the new bandh called by the Morcha on Thursday.

Biswal (85), a freedom fighter and GTA Sabha member, was nominated by the GJM after the party's former chief, Bimal Gurung, resigned earlier this month. The government, which refused to accept Biswal's candidature on the plea that he is a nominated member, has fixed September 4 as the date for the election.

"We would go for an election to fill the post. A nominated member cannot stand as a candidate. It has to be an elected member. We have informed of our decision to GTA principal secretary R D Meena, who has communicated this to GTA Sabha chairman Upendra Pradhan,'' a source in the state government said.

Out of the 50 members of the GTA Sabha, five have been nominated by the state government.

Reacting strongly to the state's decision, GJM spokesperson Harka Bahadur Chhetri said, "What will happen if we recommend a nominated member? We do not think there will be any legal problem. We will look at the Act carefully."

Despite the call for bandh and other agitational programmes slated to take place in the Hills, the state government has planned to "stick to the GTA Sabha election on September 4". "There is no question of backing out,'' West Bengal Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee said.

(Republished by KalimNews- Source & Courtesy: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gta-chief-govt-rejects-biswal-s-candidature/1159020/)