Will find solution to Darjeeling problem, says Jaswant

BJP heavyweight Jaswant Singh's arrival in Darjeeling perked up the political scene on Tuesday.

"I promise that I will try and find a solution to the Darjeeling problem. I am amazed by the reception I have got here. The Darjeeling problem is long-standing, and we are with the people of Darjeeling," said an exuberant Singh, adding he would file nomination for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency on April 9.

Received at Bagdogra Airport by several thousand slogan-shouting supporters of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, he reached Darjeeling in the evening and held a meeting with GJM leaders, including its president Bimal Gurung.

"We are for Jaswant Singh, we are for the BJP. They have told us that they will help us achieve our dream of Gorkhaland. The people of the hills will ensure that he wins here. Other candidates do not stand a chance," said Roshan Giri, a senior leader of GJM, who escorted Singh to Darjeeling.

Significantly, Singh's candidature has added colour to the political scene in Darjeeling. So much so that party bigwigs, including L K Advani, Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh, are expected to come and campaign for him in the first phase.

Darjeeling is to witness a triangular fight now between the GJM-backed BJP, CPI(M) and Congress candidates.

The sitting Congress MP, Dawa Narbula, had won the seat during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections by a margin of 1,01,416 votes. Narbula, who was supported by the people of the hills, had managed a major share of his victory margin from the three Assembly seats of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Darjeeling, and had trailed behind the CPI(M) candidate Moni Thapa in the Assembly segments of Siliguri, Chopra and Phansidewa which are located in the planes and where the Gorkhaland activists don't have any major support base.

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