Gurung camp to field own candidates in Assembly polls- party's public meeting in Kurseong scheduled for the 8th this month had been postponed.

SNS, DARJEELING, 6 NOVEMBER 2020 : The Bimal Gurung camp of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha, which has claimed that it has extended support to the TrinamuI Congress, today said it will field its own candidates in the three Assembly seats in the Hills for next year's elections. The camp also claimed that Mr Gurung would return to the Hills after some legal matters are settled in around 15 days from now.

Many are seeing this as an interesting development, with an understanding between the TMC and the other camp of the Morcha led by Binoy Tamang that they will be given to field their own candidates with their alliance, something which chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced earlier.

"We will field our own candidates in the 2021 Bidhan Sabha elections from all the three seats in the Hills.We are confident of victory as the people are with us. After we are victorious, we will support the TMC and then work towards what the MP had promised us and make it a reality" a central committee leader of the Gurung camp, Tilak Chandra Roka, said.

Asked what would happen if the TMC decided otherwise, he said, "An understanding is already there that we will ask for votes for our own candidates." Mr Roka, however, did not want to disclose as to whom their understanding was with.

He further said that if the TMC was confident about the Tamang camp, the party would not have approached the Gurung faction with this offer.

On the agenda for the elections, he said, "Our party was formed with an agenda of a Permanent Political Solution (PPS) and even when we were in power we did not leave our demand. Our issues will remain until we are successful."

He also said that though the PPS was their main agenda, they would also work on issues like "restoring democracy" and more administrative responsibilities so that development would also be a factor for them.

"It is not necessary that we have to be with the BJP for a PPS.This is our constitutional right and we do not believe that those who are demanding and those who will give it should be from the same party," he said, adding that the PPS was a phrase coined by the Centre and they should come out clear as what it was, but that for them it meant division from Bengal.

Mr Roka also said that once the BJP comes out in the open with it, discussions could be held on that.

On the dynamics with the Tamang camp, he said, "Our ideology and principles are different, so how can we work with them." Again not elaborating he said they had a clear understanding that they would not work with the other faction. He also claimed that there were lots of supporters and leaders from the Tamang camp who now wanted to rejoin their party. "If their ideology matches ours and the public agrees, we would let them in," he said.

Mr Roka also claimed that Mr Gurung would return to the Hills once the legal process of cases registered against him was over, which, according to him, could take around 15 days. According to him, there were many "false cases" against him, which either has to be withdrawn or the court has to allow him bail.

Asked about their stand on the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), which they had earlier given up, he said, "No discussion has been held regarding the GTA and if the state government speaks in its favour; we will discuss the matter and then take a call on it."

On the Tamang camp's claims that it had a majority of the Darjeeling Municipality ward councillors in its support, Mr Roka said, "We have support of more than 18 councillors, but the situation is such that they are threatening them and showing them as theirs. With the matter being sub-judice, the court will decide on it, but with both asking for a floor test, the court will grant that in the end. Then it will be shown that they have only three ward councillors with them."

He also said that his party's public meeting in Kurseong scheduled for the 8th this month had been postponed.

Gurung still fighting for Gorkhas: Amit Shah

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today told reporters in Kollatta that he feels Mr Gurung fought for the Gorkhas in the past and that he is still fighting for them. "But my question to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is why doesn't she arrest him despite hundreds of cases against him?" he said. "It is an example of political vendetta," he added. Mr Saha also pointed out that the administration had been "politicised," while politics had been criminalised and corruption had been institutionalised by Mamata Banerjee in Bengal.

On Governor Jagdeep Dhankarand how the TMC has allegedly branded him as a "BJP man," Mr Shah said: "I would check the reports upon returning to my office. As far as I know the Governor went to Darjeeling and the District Magistrate there met him. Can you ask the CM why she transferred him immediately after he met the Governor?"

It may be mentioned here that Darjeeling DM Ponnambalam S was transfered a day after he, along with the superintendent of Police, met Mr Dhankhar in Darjeeling recently.