Gorkha Janamukti Morcha decides to support BJP's S S Ahluwalia

KOLKATA: Gorkha Janamukti Morcha today decided to back senior BJP leader S S Ahluwalia for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.

"Our president Bimal Gurung (GJM chief) has announced that GJM would back S S Ahluwalia as the BJP candidate in Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in the coming parliamentary election," its general secretary Roshan Giri told a news agency over phone from Darjeeling following a meeting of the GJM.

Ahluwalia's candidature from Darjeeling is, however, yet to be announced by BJP.

When contacted BJP state president Rahul Sinha said the name of Ahluwalia had been recommended to the party's central leadership as contestant for the seat in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

GJM had earlier pledged support to BJP candidates in West Bengal, including the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls too GJM supported senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh for the Darjeeling seat, who emerged as the winner.

Ruling Trinamool Congress has nominated footballer Bhaichung Bhutia from Darjeeling seat and GJM, whose support will be a deciding factor in the hills, has decided not to support him.

Gurung had recently claimed that GJM support would be the deciding factor not only in Darjeeling parliamentary seat but also in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.