Gorkha Janamukti Morcha to be part of NDA

The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) will be a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and support Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jaswant Singh for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.

The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) will be a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and support Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jaswant Singh for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.

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Announcing this while releasing the BJP poll manifesto in New Delhi on Friday, the party's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani said the decision was reached after discussions with top GJM leaders.

GJM president Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri have been camping in Delhi for the last two days, to hold discussions with the BJP. The GJM is spearheading an agitation for a separate state to be formed out of Darjeeling and the foothills of the Himalayas that are now a part of West Bengal.

BJP president Rajnath Singh announced earlier at the same venue that Jaswant Singh now the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha will be the party's candidate from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. With the support of the GJM, he is expected to be a shoo-in.