Mamata to campaign for Trinamool hill contestants from Kurseong

EOI, Darjeeling, 7 Mar 2016: The hill Trinamool Congress today held its district committee meeting to plan strategies for next month’s Assembly election and announced chief minister Mamata Banerjee would be in Kurseong on March 15 to campaign for the party’s three candidates.

Among those present in the meeting were senior hill TMC leaders including contestants Shanta Chhetri from Kurseong and Sardha Subba from Darjeeling. Introducing the candidates to the public, hill TMC president Rajen Mukhia said Chhetri was a three time MLA from Kurseong and her experience would prove beneficial, while first timer Subba was armed with new ideas.

Mukhia also clarified that the party’s election agenda would be peace, development and good governance and asserted that a separate state was not possible. “In the past, votes were cast and candidates contested elections by making Gorkhaland their key agenda. However, a separate state has failed to materialise. In fact, the state government is not in a position to give a separate state. That is why we want to develop the hills first,” he said.

The TMC leader further said, “She (Banerjee) will be in Siliguri on March 14. The next day she will be in Kurseong to hold a public meeting to pep up supporters and the candidates ahead of the polls,” said Mukhia. On the party’s election prospects, Mukhia expressed confidence, saying the people wanted a change in the hills. 

“The people want an alternative to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha as they are fed up with their autocratic rule. We will visit each and every house across the hills and tell people why they should vote for our party candidates and the benefits of doing so,” he said.

When asked about Harka Bahadur Chhetri, the president of the Jan Andolan Party, being nominated as the TMC candidate from Kalimpong, Mukhia said, “It has already been cleared by the Trinamool high command including the chief minister that he is not our party candidate. However, we may support him, but that is a decision that will be taken by our party leadership in Kolkata.” In today’s meeting, it was decided that the TMC would establish block and booth level election committees to give provide supporters and voters confidence. Other political parties including the GJM are yet to announce their candidates for the election.