CPRM announce their support for BJP candidates in Hills

DARJEELING, : The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist(CPRM), which had earlier spoken against the BJP nominees in the three hill assembly seats, today announced theirsupport towards the party in the polls.

The decision comes as a sharp contrast againsttheir earlier opinion towards the BJP where they had expressed theirdissatisfaction towards them while claiming that the decision of thecandidates was taken without the CPRM, an alliance party.

CPRM general secretary Norbu Lama said, “Our Kalimpong unit hadearlier announced their support towards the BJP candidate there whichwe discussed in the central committee. Looking at the presentsituation in Bengal along with the age-old demand of the Gorkhas wehave decided to support the BJP candidate in the Hills.”

Lama maintained that they had tried to coordinate with localparties here to create a united force but had failed to do so. He added that many in their party were also opposed the idea ofsupporting the BJP, but for the greater issue, they had all taken thisdecision.

According to some party leader, the CPRM had hoped that the BJP would field a candidate from their party.

“An assurance has also been given in a letter that after BJP comesto power in Bengal, they will work towards a solution for the problemsof the Gorkhas,” said Lama while also welcoming announcement of a constitutional arrangementfor the Gorkhas within Bengal by Home Minister Amit Shah in Siliguri.

On the Home minister’s statement thatBengal would not be divided, Lama tried to clarify it by saying thatthere could be a hidden agenda behind it as Darjeeling, Terrai andDooars were never a part of Bengal.

With CPRM also announcing their support to the BJP this time, mostof the alliance parties of the BJP remain intact with GorkhaNational Liberation Front (GNLF) and Gorkha JanmuktiMorcha alsosupporting them. For Kalimpong Assembly Constituency (AC), Bharat Chettri, a sports personality without affiliation to any politicalparty, waschosen as the BJP candidate while for Darjeeling AC, the name of Morchayouth leader Noman Rai was announced. For Kurseong, BJP leader SonamLama was chosen as their candidate.