Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) party spokesperson, Jacob Khaling on Tuesday confirmed that the party has decided to go for pre-poll alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this upcoming Assembly and Parliamentary elections in Sikkim.
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However, he asserted that the alliance would be finalized only after the agreement on eight-point common minimum programmes.
Addressing a press conference in Gangtok on Tuesday, Khaling informed that a high-level meeting of SKM party at the residence of SKM president P S Golay at Singling in West Sikkim on Monday took views and suggestions of leaders and workers of the party on the alliance with BJP.
He informed after thorough discussion the meeting unanimously decided to go for pre-poll alliance with BJP for this election. He mentioned that talks on the alliance were still going on and after signing on the common minimum programme the alliance will be finalized in next few days. He added after that the seat sharing will also be discussed on the same meeting.
Khaling mentioned that eight-point common minimum programmes include amendment on Citizen Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha to ensure this bill would be not implemented in Sikkim, immediate reservation of Limboo-Tamang seats and tribal status to eleven left out communities of Sikkim after forming the government, restoration of Nepali seats, protection of the Article 371F, Rule 4(4) and other old laws of Sikkim, full respect and protection to all religions and communities of Sikkim and their rights, permanent IT exemption to all Sikkimese and left out old settlers and CBI investigation for politicians.
Speaking on the alliance process, Khaling informed that BJP leadership in Delhi invited SKM party for a meeting for the alliance and the party president informed and discussed this matter in a high-level meeting of SKM party on February 26 last at Gangtok.
He added that after the discussion the meeting decided to go for a first round meeting at Delhi and a seven-member high level delegation of SKM party met BJP national president, Amit Shah and other senior leaders on March 6 and had another meeting with BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on March 7.
SKM spokesperson informed that another high-level meeting of SKM party at the residence of SKM president P S Golay at Singling on Tuesday discussed on the matter and finally decided to go ahead with the alliance with BJP.
However, he added that the alliance would be finalized only after the agreement on the common minimum programme.
He questioned the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF)party president on whether he had ever discussed with the party CEC ever before giving support in the Centre after winning the election.
He also questioned him on placing the common minimum programmes before having post poll alliance. On the same, he alleged that the support to the party in the Centre by the ruling party was not in the interest of the people but just to save an individual from the CBI investigation. He mentioned that SKM party decided to have alliance with BJP for the people of Sikkim.