TMC hope in school win

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Nov. 12: The Trinamul (hill) Congress has decided to start a sustained campaign against the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha following its first electoral victory of sorts against the predominant hill party. 

A Trinamul-backed candidate won four of the six seats in the managing committee elections of Panchabatti Higher Secondary School in Sitong, about 26km from Kurseong, last Sunday. 

This is the first time the Morcha had lost any election after the party was formed on October 7, 2007. 

N.B. Khawash, general secretary of Trinamul (hills), said: “The victory at the managing committee election is an indication of the mood at the grassroots. We have decided to start a sustained campaign across the hills soon after Diwali is over. We have also decided to contest all managing committee elections in the hills.”

Although Trinamul seems to have seen a ray of hope in the school committee victory, such an election is not a reflection of any party’s popularity as no politial party can directly contest school body elections. Also, no political development in the hills suggests the Morcha is in any kind of trouble.

There are 774 primary schools, six junior high schools, 52 high schools and 71 higher secondary schools in the hills. 

In the past, most of the managing committee members would be nominated uncontested and were largely from the ruling party.

Mamata Banerjee’s party will kick off its campaign to be in touch with the common masses by organising a blood donation camp at Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong on November 22. 

“We will organise a blood donation camp at Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong on November 22 and then we will then start a campaign against corruption in GTA at the hill municipalities,” said Khawash.