GNLF proposes two `consensus' names

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 13 March 2019, Darjeeling: The Gorkha National Liberation Front, which launched an initiative to name a consensus candidate from among hill parties for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, on Tuesday let the cat out of the bag and said the GNLF wanted "an apolitical face" to be the "consensus" nominee.

The GNLF has even named its proposed candidates.

"We would want Munish Tamang to be the consensus candidate. The other name we are thinking of is Mahendra P. Lama," GNLF leader Y. Lama told a press conference in Darjeeling on Tuesday.

Munish is a professor at Delhi University and is also the general secretary of the apolitical Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh.

Lama, who was the founding vice-chancellor of Sikkim University, had contested and lost the last parliamentary elections from Darjeeling. He had bagged around 55,000 votes.

Though Lama is not officially attached to any party at the moment, he was a founding member of the Jana Andolan Party (JAP).

Y Lama explained: "The hill parties which are taking an initiative for a consensus candidate have their own ideologies. The GNLF wants to rise above party politics and choose an apolitical candidate. If Munish Tamang emerges as the consensus candidate, it would be good for the Gorkhas." Apart from the GNLF, the other hill parties which have come together for the consensus candidate are the JAP, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) and the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (Bharati Tamang).

The CPRM had already announced three-time MP from Darjeeling, R.B. Rai, as its candidate. But the CPRM clarified that if a consensus candidate emerged, they party would withdraw Rai from the fray.

Apart from the hill parties, the CPM has also decided to back the consensus candidate provided the name was announced by March 15. Congress leaders in Darjeeling also support the consensus candidate idea, even though a final call is likely to be taken by the high command.

GNLF leader Lama's statement is a clear indication that the constituents of the "consensus candidate" forum are trying to pitch in with respective nominees. "Even the GNLF could have come up with names of its own leaders but we are rising above party agenda," said Lama.

Observers believe if the hill parties can jointly name a candidate and get the backing of both the CPM and the Congress in the plains, the election would be fiercely fought this time.

The Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency consists of seven Assembly segments -- four in the plains and three in the hills. "The support of plainscentric parties is also important this time around," said an observer..