GJM hints at poll alliance with Trinamool: supporting TMC in LS polls

TNN, Nov 8, 2013, KOLKATA: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), it seems, is ready to bury the hatchet with the state government . After a meeting between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and GJM MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri at Nabanna on Thursday, speculations are rife that there can be a poll-alliance between Trinamool and GJM during the 2014 polls.

Lok Sabha seat with the support of Trinamool Congress. Though Chhetri said that there was no decision on the Darjeeling seat as GJM chief Bimal Gurung will be taking the final call.

The chief minister is trying to strengthen the base of Trinamool in the Hills, and hence GJM might seek an alliance , sources said.

Moreover, Chhetri said they would be writing to the Assembly speaker Biman Banerjee expressing their desire to sit in the treasury bench. Trinamool sources said that once the three GJM MLAs are back in the treasury bench, they can be allocated posts of chairman of different boards. Chhetri might be given a key post in the North Bengal Development Council.

Earlier, when the GJM had started agitation in the Hills and its chief Bimal Gurung had tendered his resignation from the post of CEO of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration , the party had wanted a separate sitting arrangement for them in the Assembly.

Chhetri said that he had aired the grievance of GJM leadership, as 10 GTA members are still in jail and even on Thursday they were not granted bail. "The GJM leaders were not released and they are implicated in false cases. So, I asked the CM to arrange the release of the party leaders and supporters. Over 1400 GJM supporters, who had joined the agitation, are still in jail. So, I stressed on their release . The CM had directed the SP of Darjeeling to look into the release of the arrested persons ."

Chhetri said that he had an effective meeting with the CM, like the one at Darjeeling a fortnight ago.

He said, "The CM wants to accelerate development in the Hills and for that the GJM is also trying to go overboard with the development projects. Since 1907 we had been demanding a separate state and still now there is lack of proper drinking water, power supply and good infrastructure. So, we want to develop the infrastructure in the Hills and that is the sole objective now." According to him, they are planning to run the GTA permanently and want to give stress on the development projects.

PTI, Kolkata, Nov 08 2013: The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leadership Thursday hinted at supporting Trinamool Congress in Darjeeling hills during the next general elections. 

"When we are working together with them (Trinamool-led state government) for development of the hills, then we are also ready to work together on other matters," senior GJM leader and MLA Harka Bahadur Chetri told reporters here. 

Asked whether the GJM would contest the next Lok Sabha elections, he said "I don't have the mandate to speak on this issue." The GJM, which plays a deciding role in the contest for Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, had supported BJP's Jaswant Singh during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, leading to his victory. 

Following the Centre's decision to carve out a separate state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, the GJM had started a violent movement demanding a separate Gorkhaland, but scaled down its agitation after strong administrative measures by the state government. Chetri also said GJM members would now sit with the Trinamool MLAs in the treasury bench of the state Assembly.

During their agitation for Gorkhaland, GJM had written to the Speaker with a plea of changing the seats of their MLAs from the treasury bench to opposition bench.

GTA executive meet held 

*GTA executives meet in Darjeeling Thursday, introduced 29 amendments. 

*The hill council announced reservation for ST and SC in all future elections in the GTA. 

*It will create 18 blocks instead of the present 10 in Darjeeling. 

*The GTA will construct a Gorkha hostel in Delhi at a cost of Rs 29 crore. 

*It will collect toll tax from Rohini and Pankhabari road. 

Release men held during statehood stir: GJM to mamata 

A GJM delegation, including three MLAs led by Harka Bahadur Chhetri, Thursday met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with a request to release the 1,400 morcha leaders and workers who were arrested and put behind the bars during the indefinite agitation in Darjeeling in August-September. 

"Chief Minister told us that she will instruct the local police to consider it on case to case basis. We are hopeful," Chhetri later said. He said Mamata assured to support GJM in running the hill council —- the Gorkhaland Tribunal Administration (GTA). "We assured her that we will spearhead a movement for development in the hills," he said.