The Telegraph

Kalimpong, Nov. 18: All nine members of the Gorkha Janmuki Morcha who were showcaused by the party for acts of indiscipline have replied to notices served on them and are now waiting for outfit president Bimal Gurung to decide on their fate.

While no leader was willing to go on record, reliable sources in the party identified five names who have been served the notices. They are Bijay Sundas, a central committee member and former vice-chairman of the Kalimpong municipality, Nanita Gautam, a central committee member and former president of the Kalimpong unit of the party’s women’s wing, Nima Tamang of the Youth Morcha, Kalawati Acharya of the women’s wing, and Pravin Tuladhar, a party member.

The sources, however, could not confirm the names of the remaining four recipients of the brown envelopes that brought the notices. The sources said the nine had been hauled up for various reasons, including indulging in anti-party activities and corruption. The notices, however, did not explicitly specify the charges.

“Most of them have already responded to the notices and have apologised for any action that they might have indulged in and which could have hurt the image of the party,” the sources said. Their fate, however, will now be decided by Gurung. “The central committee of the party has authorised the party president to take whatever action he deems fit against the guilty.”

The cleansing process within the party is being carried out at the initiative of Gurung, who had said he would act against those leaders who have been indulging in corruption by taking “pact-money” from contractors.

The notices on the nine were served over the past week or so, but the party chose not to go public with the names. It is only after rumour mills started having a field day on the likely recipients of the envelopes, that the names were revealed to The Telegraph. “By delivering on his promise, the Morcha president has salvaged the image of the party which had begun to take a beating, thanks to the activities of corrupt leaders,” said a party member.