Bhaichung plans union with BJP

RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, 25 Nov 2018: Gangtok: The Bhaichung Bhutia-led Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) held a meeting with the BJP on Saturday over the possibility of an alliance between the two parties in Sikkim before the Assembly and parliamentary elections, scheduled next year.

Both the parties said they were open to the idea of holding talks with the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), the state's main Opposition party, to put up a united fight against the Sikkim Democratic Party (SDF), which has been in power for nearly 25 years.

"We are willing to hold talks with the SKM. We have to identify common issues to forge a possible alliance," said Biraj Adhikari, the HSP spokesperson.

State BJP president D.B. Chauhan said: "We are in talks with some SKM leaders. We will also meet P.S. Golay and propose an alliance. The aspirations of the people of Sikkim is for us to unite to take on the SDF, but the main hurdle is that the SDF continues to be part of the NDA and the NEDA." SKM leaders could not be contacted. K.T. Gyaltsen, the SDF spokesman, said: "The HSP on its own stands no chance against the SDF. So, for the survival of the party and in the individual interest of some leaders they are trying to strike an alliance with the BJP.".