The TMC Siliguri district president, Papiya Ghosh and BJPM president Anit Thapa were present.
Mamata Banerjee [Photo : ANI]
Expressing happiness over chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to field a former bureaucrat as her party candidate to contest Lok Sabha polls from Darjeeling Parliamentary seat, Gopal Lama today said he was ready to take challenges in political arena to take on the BJP in elections.
As TMC candidate Gopal Lama arrived in Bagdogra Airport today, several party workers, belonging to both the Trinamul Congress and Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) welcomed him and held a felicitation and introduction programme for him at Uttara on the way to Siliguri from Bagdogra.
The TMC Siliguri district president, Papiya Ghosh and BJPM president Anit Thapa were present.
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Speaking to the reporters, Mr Lama said, “I didn’t expect Mamata Banerjee to nominate me as her party’s candidate. Though I am not experienced in politics, I, belonging to the BGPM, would formulate strategy after holding a meeting with both leaders of the BGPM in the Hills and the TMC in the plains. Though I don’t have experience in politics, I would take challenges and fight elections to win the seat.”
“At present, my message to the people is peace and development for this region since there is no difference between the Hills and plains,” Mr Lama said.
On the other hand, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief executive, Anit Thapa, who played a key role to nominate Mr Lama, said: “We work with the state government to bring in development for the Hills. Our main objective is to maintain peace and bring in development.”
When asked to comment on permanent political solution for the Hills, Mr Thapa said: “Where is the solution? How long the BJP would take time to resolve Hill issues! People should not run after sentiment, which is not practically possible at present. Fifteen years have passed, MPs belonging to the BJP, have done nothing for Gorkhas. When there is an alliance between the TMC and the BGPM we will win the seat.”
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