New party by union leader

Amar Rai

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Oct. 19: Amar Rai, a former president of a government employees’ union which was stronger than the union with leanings towards Subash Ghisingh during the heyday of the GNLF chief, is set to float a political party after Diwali.

Rai will be the president of the outfit to be called Parbatya Prajatantrik Party, while Kishor Kumar Pradhan and Tashi Dorjee Sherpa will be the general secretary and the treasurer, respectively. 

Rai, 57, who took voluntary retirement in 2012, today said: “We have applied for registration of the party with the Election Commission of India and this should come through within the next 30 days. We will then float the outfit.”

He had retired as upper division assistant in the district magistrate’s office.

Rai said even though the party’s agenda would be disclosed after the registration, the new outfit would be fighting for a separate state of Gorkhaland and to unite the hill people. 

He had headed the apolitical Hill Employees and Workers’ Trade Union from 1986 to 2012. 

The Hill Employees Association, which had a leaning towards the GNLF, could not command as much support as Rai’s union throughout his tenure as the president.

Asked for a comment on the new party, Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, said: “We have nothing to say on this issue.”