DARJEELING, April
11. - The Kalimpong branch of the Darjeeling District Youth Congress,
today, at its meeting in Kalimpong, declared support for Mr Surendra
Parekh. Mr Parekh had yesterday claimed that he had been nominated
by the Congress to contest for the Darjeeling Parliamentary seat. The Pradesh Congress Committee had earlier
announced Mr Dawa Narbula as its candidate.
Mr Parekh's claim has created confusion in the Hills, where the
largest Opposition coalition, the People's Democratic Front, has
already `adopted` Mr Narbula as its candidate. The Congress
is a constituent member of the PDF, the other members being the
ABGL, the CPRM, the GNLF-C and the BJP.
At the DYC meeting in Kalimpong today, Mr Parekh and his loyalists
assured a gathering of party workers that top AICC leaders had told
them that Mrs Sonia Gandhi had endorsed Mr Parekh's candidature,
documents of which would soon be forwarded to them by the PCC. Mr
Dilip Pradhan, president, DYC, Kalimpong, noted that his unit supported
Mr Parekh as `this was the first time in 56 years that a resident
of Kalimpong would have the chance to represent the constituency
in the Parliament`. According to Mr Pradhan, the campaign for
Mr Parekh would start from the coming week.
While other senior leaders from Mr Parekh's camp underrated the
importance of the PDF support, Mr Pradhan pointed out that Mr Golan
Lepcha of GNLF, MLA from Kalimpong, had declared support for the
Congress in the event of Mr Parekh being the nominee. The MLA, however,
later denied that he had proffered support to the candidate. `How
could I say anything about supporting anyone when my party's central
leadership has not made any comment on the election so far?`
observed Mr Lepcha.
Meanwhile, the Kalimpong branch of the PDF today indirectly accused
the GNLF for creating the confusion over the Congress candidate.
`There are some vested interests who are trying to exacerbate
the dissension within the Congress, whose candidate Mr Narbula,
we have decided to back,` said Col (Retd) DK Pradhan, chairman
of PDF, Kalimpong. `The PDF is the strongest force in the hills
presently, and the ruling party (GNLF) besides the CPI-M is hell
bent on weakening us,` Col Pradhan added.
Courtesy
The Telegraph |
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