Gangtok: Congress has invited ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), an NDA (National democratic Alliance) ally, to form "an alliance" with it following BJP's move to induct Nar Bahadur Bhandari into the party, sources said.

A delegation of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) led by its president Namkha Gyaltsen called on SDF president Pawan Chamling on September 9 to extend his party's "full support" to the SDF and asked him to "form an alliance", if Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP) leader Bhandari was admitted to the BJP, SPCC sources said.

The move came in the wake of a series of informal meetings between Bhandari and BJP leaders. Three senior BJP leaders were in the town recently to gauge the public mood on the issue and had met Bhandari several times, BJP sources said.

BJP national vice-president Pyarelal Khandelwal had told reporters in Gangtok that the decision to admit Bhandari into the party would be taken by the party high command after the submission of report by the three leaders.

He also said it was "not politically immoral to seek or extend support to any non-NDA ally".

Citing the case of SDF, Khandelwal had said, "if any NDA ally thinks you (BJP) cannot take support from others, this is not correct. Although SDF is an NDA ally, but BJP can always consider supporting or getting support from Opposition SSP of Nar Bahadur Bhandari".

Meanwhile, SPCC sources claimed that the state leadership's move, which was in the "interests of Sikkim and its people", had received "verbal approval" from the party high command.

"Chamling should not feel let down if the BJP betrays an NDA ally (SDF) by taking Bhandari," SPCC sources said.

PTI