Statesman News Service

KALIMPONG, April 4. — “No elections until Gorkhaland”, was the opinion raised by the GNLF-C today.
In a press release, member of the Opposition coalition PDF and an influential political organisation, the GNLF-C stated that the political scenario in the Hills is a mere dramatisation on the part of the Left Front-run state government.
Claiming that the forthcoming panchayat elections should also be stalled going by what the chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has said about the Nepal Maoists posing a threat to the surrounding hills of Darjeeling, GNLF-C chief convenor, Col. DK Pradhan said: “If that’s the case then why are they moving ahead with the panchayat polls, it should also be desisted.”
Party seniors accused the CPI-M of, “double standards”. It’s other convener, Mr Norden Lama wondered why the chief minister met the officials of the Central government thrice for the DGHC elections, which is under the Constitution of the state.
“If he wanted to appoint Ghisingh as the sole caretaker administrator of the council he could have done that the very first day instead of just lengthening it,” he said.
The contradictory statements of the chief minister and state municipal affairs minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya were also ridiculed.
“It’s been more of a drama and all this just an eyewash. Even the twelve sittings of the PDF (between February and March) proved to be fruitless exercise,” Col. Pradhan said.
Members said that the only cause of the PDF-CPI-M understanding was the elections to the DGHC. “The only reason for an understanding was seat-adjustments, that too for the greater interest of restoring democracy in the Hills. Now, no elections then why the alliance,” Col. Pradhan asked.
Both the AGBL and the GNLF-C held their core committee meetings here yesterday. Also, the members of the PDF are expected to meet next month to decide over future proceedings.
According to sources the PDF is all set to revive its demand for a separate state, Gorkhaland, after seeing what the government is doing to appease the GNLF chief, Mr Subash Ghisingh.
The ABGL had yesterday resolved to write to the state government to get the election of the DGHC conducted by the state election commission. “Is the status of the DGHC below that of the gram panchayat or the state government has the compulsion of getting a particular political party elected to the DGHC,” AIGL vice president Mr NC Khaling had asked.
Two minutes of silence was also observed at the meeting to mourn the death of Pope John Paul II.