Darj set to witness series of public poll meetings

SNS, Darjeeling, 27 March 2014: As the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations ends tomorrow, Darjeeling Hills is expected to witness a series of public meetings where candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections in the Darjeeling parliamentary constituency are set to appeal for votes.

The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has said it will hold public meetings at Sukna near Siliguri on 30 March and in Darjeeling town on 10 April.

Meanwhile, veteran CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechuri is scheduled to visit Darjeeling on 12 April to campaign for his party's candidate for the Hills, Saman Pathak.

"Yechuri will address a public meeting that will be held on 12 April at the Darjeeling Sumeru Manch," CPI-M leaders here said today. GJMM-backed BJP candidate, SS Ahluwalia, today left for Siliguri and party sources said he will campaign in the Matigara-Naxalbari, Siliguri and Phansidewa areas.

"His two-day campaigning in the plains will end on 29 March and he will return to Darjeeling on 30 March," the sources said.

Also, independent candidate Mahendra P Lama is scheduled to address a public meeting in Kalimpong on 12 April and in Darjeeling on 13 April. He is now holding indoor meetings with various apolitical organisations in the Hills, it is learnt.

Members of the Darjeeling Dooars United Development Foundation (DDUDF), the organization Mr Lama belongs to, said he will also hold a public meeting in Kurseong and in the plains.

Meanwhile, the Trinamul Congress said the party and its candidate for Darjeeling, Baichung Bhutia, will campaign from 1 April to 4 April in assembly segments in the plains, and in the hill segments after that, a party official here said.

Thirteen candidates of various parties are in the fray for the Darjeeling parliamentary constituency seat. Election officials here said today that none of the nominations were rejected after scrutiny today.