Mahendra P Lama to soon announce new political party

Siliguri : The apolitical association, Darjeeling-Dooars Development United Foundation (DDDUF), will soon take on a political avatar to raise the issues of the Dooars and the Darjeeling hills on a national level. This was announced this afternoon by DDDUF founder Mahendra P Lama at a press conference at the Siliguri Journalists’ Club. Lama said the formation and naming of the new political party will be formed announced after the election results are declared on May 16. He said, “If I win, I will carry my agenda to Parliament, and if I don’t, we will pressurise the winning candidate to fulfill the demands of the people of the Dooars and the Darjeeling hills. If the candidate fails to comply, we will knock at the doors of the courts in a democratic manner to fulfill the aspiration of the people.” Lama said he also wants a three-tier panchayat election in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district. The two-tier system was followed after the formation of the now-defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC). Citing the sub-division of Siliguri, the DDUDF chief said three-tier panchayat elections are also a must for the hills to ensure development and provide various facilities to the people.