BJP sends ‘feelers’ to hill party

Darjeeling: The central leadership of the BJP has sent feelers to the ABGL to work together, one of the leaders of the hill party claimed today.

Madan Tamang, the president of the ABGL, who arrived here from Delhi today, said: “During my meeting with Rajnath Singh (BJP president), he categorically asked me if we were willing to work with his party.”

The BJP does not have much hold in the hills and in the last parliamentary elections, its candidate from Darjeeling had got around 1 lakh votes. The ABGL had then, along with the CPRM and the GNLF (C) — all members of the PDF, an anti-Subash Ghisingh coalition in the hills — backed Dawa Narbula, the Congress candidate, who went on to win the elections.

In recent times, the CPM and the GNLF, Subash Ghisingh’s party, have been wooing the BJP since its support is necessary to get the Sixth Schedule amendment bill passed. The amendment will give Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling hills.

Tamang also claimed that the PDF never had any alliance with the Congress, but had supported it in the parliamentary elections out of political compulsions.

“But we are looking at an alliance with the BJP. The equations are favourable as both the ABGL and the BJP are opposed to the CPM,” the leader added.

Although Tamang has not yet conveyed his message to the PDF members, he is likely to do so through a public meeting schedule to take place at Chowk Bazar tomorrow.

“Forging a working relation with the BJP will be of immense help as all decisions on the Sixth Schedule status will be ultimately taken on a political level. I have given lots of documents to the BJP to help it corner the CPM as far as its hill policy is concerned,” said Tamang.

Source: The Telegraph