Siliguri: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Wednesday said the expulsion of Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh from the BJP would not affect the statehood movement in West Bengal.
The GJM's reaction came after the BJP on Wednesday sacked the former External Affairs minister for his controversial book in which he had said Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah was not responsible for the country's partition.
''The BJP had promised in its poll manifesto to support the statehood movement,'' GJM's spokesperson Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri told UNI.
''Besides, Mr Jaswant Singh will now find enough time for his constituency and exert his political influence on other parties for realisation of statehood,'' Mr Chettri maintained.
In the last general election Mr Singh won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat as a BJP candidate after the GJM supported his candidature.
Mr Chettri said Mr Singh won by popular support of the GJM after the BJP nominated him.
''Any other candidate would have won the seat by our support.
Therefore, the expulsion will not at all affect the statehood
movement in Darjeeling,'' he added.
Meanwhile, the GJM had been campaigning across the hills telling the people of the outcome of the tri-partite meeting held in New Delhi last week.
After the campaign ends by this week a central committee meeting is expected soon where party leaders are expected to chalk out a fresh strategy for intensifying the movement for statehood, added Mr Chettri.
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