Gurung at Bagdogra Airport on Wednesday before leaving for Delhi. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Darjeeling, Feb. 25: Bimal Gurung today met L.K. Advani in Delhi over dinner, triggering speculation that the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha may be open to an understanding with the BJP in the general elections.

“It was a cordial occasion, but we will meet Shri Advani and other senior BJP leaders tomorrow as well,” Gurung said over the phone from the capital. The Morcha chief, however, did not disclose whether the two leaders had discussed any election plans.

The BJP is hoping that the Morcha will back its candidate in Darjeeling.

Earlier in the day, Gurung and the five-member delegation he was heading were tight-lipped about the purpose of their Delhi trip.

Binay Tamang, the spokesperson for the Morcha, had said in the morning: “The team consists of Bimal Gurung, Amar Lama, Anmole Prasad, RP Bhujel and Jyoti Rai. I cannot tell you much about the visit apart from confirming the names of the delegation members.”

Even Gurung had said he was going to Delhi for a medical check-up. “I have a backache and am going to Delhi for a check-up. If things work out, I may meet national leaders of all parties as well,” Gurung had said without confirming whether the Morcha delegation had been invited to a dinner to be hosted by Advani.

Sources said Gurung and his team might also visit Dehra Dun to meet Gorkha community members depending on the schedule that would be worked out in Delhi. “They may come back only after four- five days,” said Tamang.

Even though the Morcha leaders did not spell out their Delhi agenda, indications are that the visit was solely related to the coming parliamentary elections.

In the past few months, the Morcha leaders have made a couple of trips to the capital. While the first delegation led by Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri had met Union ministers P. Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh of the UPA, a week later Gurung had led another five-member delegation and called on senior BJP leaders like Advani, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj.

Soon after arriving from Delhi, Gurung had addressed a public meeting at Panighatta near Siliguri where he had said the BJP was the only trustworthy party as far as attaining Gorkhaland was concerned.

His speech had given rise to speculation that the Morcha would be supporting the BJP in the coming elections.

However, Giri has recently clarified that the Morcha has not yet taken any decision regarding the parliamentary elections. Around the same time Gurung had said he was open to “other national parties (meaning the Congress)”.

Last evening, Harka Bahadur Chhetri, a central committee member, had said the party was also toying with the idea of fielding its own candidate in the elections.