Unique poll symbols and banners aplenty in the Dooars

SNS, Siliguri, 24 July 2013: Nobody knows what fate has in store for Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) candidates contesting the rural polls in the Dooars but common people have appreciated the symbols chosen by the contestants. 

The GJMM party leadership has selected three types of fans as its symbols following the State Election Commission’s catalogue. The party leadership allotted the significant symbols ~ a table-fan for the gram-panchayat polls, a pedestal fan for candidates contesting in the panchayat samitis and a ceiling-fan for the zilla parishad candidates. 

At Meteli bazaar in the Dooars, the GJMM put up huge banners where its party candidates are contesting in all three-tiers in league with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Notably, the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad’s (ABAVP) splinter group fielded candidates allotting the party symbol ~ bow and arrow ~ in the adivasi dominated areas and started campaigning jointly with the GJMM. 

In GJMM’s banner, candidates for the three-tiers were portrayed along with the GJMM chief Mr Bimal Gurung’s photograph. On the other hand, JMM candidates were depicted along with the JMM chief Mr Shibu Soren’s photographs. 

The GJMM’s western Dooars-based central committee leader, Mr Binod Ghatani, said: “The party’s central leadership selected the symbols to contest the rural polls in the Dooars.” “No other independent candidate has selected our symbols,” Mr Ghatani also said. 

A senior GJMM leader said: "The party president Bimal Gurung has fielded four candidates at Jaigaon, Kalchini, Birpara and Madarihat in the Dooars.” 

“A total of 183 candidates at gram panchayats and 41 candidates at panchayat samitis are contesting in the Dooars on the GJMM ticket," the senior leader also said. On the hand, GJMM’s ally JMM led by ABAVP splinter leader Mr John Barla has fielded candidates in 10 zilla parishad seats and 72 candidates in panchayat samitis. 

Several Nepali-speaking people, who were earlier followers of GJMM, in different belts in the Dooars and adjoining areas have divided politically and extended support to three political parties, namely the Trinamul Congress, the Congress and the CPI-M-backed Left Front, where Nepali-speaking candidates are contesting on tickets of different political parties.