JMM on poll move

TT; Siliguri, Nov. 5: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha today welcomed the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s decision to explore the possibility of forging an alliance with the former in the panchayat elections in the Dooars and Terai, but also said the tribal outfit might think of tying up with the Congress or Trinamul. The Morcha leadership had yesterday discussed with its Dooars office-bearers the possibility of an alliance with the JMM. “We welcome the Morcha’s decision to contest the panchayat polls jointly with the JMM. But at the same time, we are also keeping our door open for other parties like Trinamul and the Congress for forming an alliance, if they support the JMM’s demand to grant autonomy to the Dooars,” said Raju Bara, the general secretary of the Dooars-Terai regional committee of the JMM. He said JMM leaders were expecting a call from the Morcha chief (Bimal Gurung) to discuss the formation of the tie-up.