Jaswant Singh ducks Gorkhaland issue

BAGDOGRA: Senior BJP leader and candidate from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat Jaswant Singh ducked the Gorkhaland issue on his arrival here on Tuesday. His visit came on the back of the BJP���s support to the Gorkhaland statehood demand of the GJM and the latter���s support to the national party in return.

Mr Singh only said: I am overwhelmed by the reception here. I am here not to take anything but to give. I am here to solve the problem that is 100 years old. This needs to be solved through reconciliation and consultation. I shall go by the manifesto of my party. He refused to field any question from the media.

It may be mentioned that despite persuasion by the GJM, instead of straightway including Gorkhaland issue in its manifesto, the BJP said: We will sympathetically examine and appropriately consider the long pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and other people of Darjeeling district and the Dooars region, in the manifesto.

While the Congress is planning to bring Sonia Gandhi or Mamata Banerjee to Darjeeling for campaigning, the CPM will have Sitaram Yechury.