TMC message in venue - Huge area for Abhishek rally to make presence felt

The Darjeeling Motor Stand

Vivek Chhetri, Darjeeling, May 4: Trinamul MP Abhishek Banerjee will address supporters tomorrow at the Darjeeling Motor Stand, the choice of the venue suggesting that the party is eager to send a message about its presence in the hills.

The Motor Stand is among the larger venues compared to Chowrasta and Chowk Bazar in Darjeeling and very few parties other than the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha have chosen it for their programmes as it is difficult to fill up the area.

Harka Bahadur Chhetri's Jana Andolan Party (JAP) has held a meeting at this venue in the past but other parties like the CPRM, ABGL and even the GNLF has shied away from this place. An outfit has to bring in at least 5,000 supporters to make a decent show at the Motor Stand.

N.B. Khawash, the Trinamul working president in the hills, said: "This is the first time that our party is holding a public meeting at this venue and we expect a very good turnout tomorrow. Our supporters will bring out rallies from Singamari, railway station area, Bhutia Busty and Mangalpuri and they will all converge at the Motor Stand."

Abhishek will take part in the rally that will start from the railway station area.

Trinamul sources said supporters from across the hills would be flocking to Darjeeling for the event.

Officials said the administration was making parking arrangements for more than 750 vehicles in Darjeeling.

"Parking spaces have been created at Dali Police Ground, Lal Khoti area, Mahakal Mandir, Judge Bazar and so on. Fourteen parking spots across Darjeeling have been identified for tomorrow," said a party source.

Khawash maintained that the party was determined to send a message that Trinamul was seriously concerned about the development of the hills.

"Abhishek Banerjee, who is the number two leader in the party, will address a public meeting in Darjeeling tomorrow. We will also have senior leaders like Firhad Hakim visiting the hills soon. We are also expecting Subrata Bakshi to campaign in the hills," said Khawah. "The coming of senior leaders and ministers to Darjeeling to campaign proves that our party is serious about developing the hills."

Aroop Biswas, the Trinamul observer for Darjeeling, would be visiting the region from May 7.

State tourism minister Gautam Deb is already stationed in Darjeeling while Rabindranath Ghosh, north Bengal development department minister, is in charge of Kurseong. Mirik is being looked after by Saurav Chakraborty, the chairman of the Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority.

In recent months, the Mamata Banerjee government has formed the Kalimpong district apart from upgrading Mirik block into a subdivision. The TMC government has also set up 15 development boards and the TMC expects the community boards to support the party in the upcoming civic elections.

Meanwhile, the Gorkha Janmukti Yuwa Morcha today reiterated that the Morcha leadership should quit the GTA. Prakash Gurung, president, Yuwa Morcha said: "We have also written to the President and the Prime Minister of India demanding that Gorkhaland should be created. We have also sent this letter to chief minister, Mamata Banerjee."