GJM opposes panchayat polls, threatens to revive statehood

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) today opposed the West Bengal government's decision to hold two-tier panchayat polls in Darjeeling Hills and said it will move Delhi with the statehood demand in December if the state went ahead with the elections.
GJM supremo Bimal Gurung said, "We are in favour of three-tier Panchayat polls as per the GTA Act."
If the three-tier Panchayat election demand was not met, "we will go to Delhi with the statehood demand in December," he said at a meeting, adding the Morcha may also move Calcutta High Court on the issue.
The meet was organised by GJM, Kalimpong Sub Division Committee.

The meeting also took stock of the new realigned political equations in the Hills with the GJM and its rivals, the CPRM, and the ABGL, opposing the move of two-tier Panchayat polls, while the Trinamool Congress and the GNLF said they favoured holding two-tier panchayat polls as early as possible.
The new Jana Andolan Party by Harka Bahadur Chhetri recenty said it was "shameful" that the state, the Centre and the Morcha had not yet resolved the impasse.