Police officers test their strength at a tug-of-war at the district police sports meet in Dali. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Dec. 6: Days after submitting an affidavit in the high court, stating that no proof of malpractice was found against the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)?s running of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), the government today said it had received allegations of corruption against Subash Ghisingh?s party.

Asked, on the sidelines of the annual police sports meet in Dali, whether the affidavit meant a clean chit to the GNLF, urban development and municipal affairs minister Asok Bhattacharya said ?it did not?.

?The state government has definitely not given a clean chit to the GNLF. We have received a few complaints of corruption against the GNLF, the way they are running the hill council. The government will look into the allegations and, if necessary, we will also start an inquiry,? the minister said.

Denying the Opposition?s claim that the government had gone out of its way to extend the tenure of the DGHC a day before the high court hearing, the urban development minister claimed that the state government had just followed the DGHC Act.

?There are provisions for extending the term of the DGHC till March 26 and the state government has done just that. While the earlier extension of the council?s term was because of the Lok Sabha election, it was the poll revision process that made the second extension necessary. The state government will definitely hold the DGHC election and the Centre, too, wants it,? Bhattacharya added.

Earlier in October, the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) ? a major partner in the Opposition People?s Democratic Front ? had filed a writ petition in the high court alleging that the DGHC was being run ?undemocratically? by the GNLF and its chairman Subhas Ghisingh.

The case was, however, dismissed by the court on November 29 after the department of hill affairs, looked after by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, extended the council?s term by another four months and filed an affidavit stating that no evidence of any malpractice was found against Ghisingh?s party.

The DGHC was already on extension till November 30 this year, its tenure having expired on March 26.

Clarifying the government?s stand, Bhattacharya said: ?Just because a different party is running the DGHC we did not want to make life difficult for them. We do not want have a non-cooperative attitude. All we want is peace in Darjeeling. Development has no link with politics.?

The minister cited the state government?s cooperation to the Calcutta Municipal Corporation to drive home his point.

Tackled on whether the Left Front would ally with the Opposition for the DGHC poll, the CPM leader said: ?There are differences on the issue of Gorkhaland. We have always been opposed to it and this is why we cannot go in for an alliance.?

He, however, did not rule out the possibility of a seat-sharing agreement.

?We have already held two rounds of meeting (with the PDF) but let the election date get finalised first,? Bhattacharya said.