Wary of Vasundhara, Jaswant Singh opts for Darjeeling

Why is the BJP’s Jaswant Singh, leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to enter the Lok Sabha from Darjeeling and not from a constituency in his home State, Rajasthan?

Most party leaders simply shrugged their shoulders. Why not Darjeeling, some of them asked. However, a BJP leader well versed in the party affairs in the State said: “Mr. Jaswant Singh knows that if he were to contest in Rajasthan he would run the risk of [former Chief Minister] Vasundhara Raje personally ensuring his defeat.” MORE...

Gorkhaland: BJP mum on manifesto

The BJP national leadership today evaded answering several questions on the possibility of including or avoiding the Gorkhaland issue in the party's election manifesto even as the GJMM leadership is mounting pressure for its inclusion and the West Bengal unit of the BJP is opposing it staunchly.

A GJMM delegation led by the party president, Mr Bimal Gurung, is now camping in New Delhi to discuss the matter with the BJP's central leadership. According to Mr Amar Lama, a senior member of the delegation, they had a meeting with the BJP veteran, Mr LK Advani, over dinner last night. “But the Gorkhaland issue did not figure in the tête-à-tête yesterday. We would meet the BJP president, Mr Rajnath Singh, and others today and try to prevail upon him to incorporate ‘Gorkhaland’ in the BJP manifesto,” he said.

The central leadership of the BJP, however, chose to play safe today with reservations simmering within the state BJP unit over the emotive issue. MORE...

BJP backs GJMM’s Dooars rally demand

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s state leadership today stoutly supported the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha’s rally demand in the Dooars. “The state government cannot prevent indefinitely a registered political party from holding a rally on the lame law and order excuse,” said the BJP state president and the general secretary.

Meanwhile, the GJMM leadership is reportedly trying to build up links with the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Bikash Parishad at the highest level. MORE...

GJM’s poll carrot has BJP thinking on Gorkhaland

In an attempt to gain a foothold in the Dooar region of West Bengal, comprising the districts of Darjeeling and parts of Jalpaiguri, the BJP leadership is willing to accommodate “in some manner” the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s Gorkhaland statehood demand. Accompanied by his colleagues, GJM president Bimal Gurung had early this month met BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, party president Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders to lobby for their demand for the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state. The GJM has asked the saffron party to back their cause openly; in return, the BJP has been promised the Gorkha outfit’s full support in the coming Lok Sabha polls. MORE...

BJP ruffles feathers

The BJP has named former IPS officer Mr Dawa Sherpa as its candidate from Darjeeling constituency for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Mr Sherpa is a resident of Rimbick in Darjeeling sub-division. The decision has caused consternation in the BJP camp here. When asked about the development, the BJP Darjeeling unit president, Mr GS Yonjon, said that the decision is not appreciable as Mr Sherpa is a new face in the Darjeeling Hills political circle. “He joined the BJP about a month back,” Mr Yonjon added. MORE...