Hill parties get ready for civic elections

HT, 5 Jul 2016,DARJEELING: Political parties in the Hills have started streamlining their election machinery for the forthcoming municipal elections. Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong municipalities are set to go to polls in the end of this year.
Kalimpong continues to occupy centre stage of politics with chief minister Mamata Banerjee assuring the early formation of a district (to be upgraded from the present subdivision) and the Assembly already having given the go ahead.
Interestingly during the last Assembly elections a coalition had been formed with the TMC, Gorkha National Liberation Front and the Jana Andolan Party (JAP). While JAP and GNLF had supported TMC in the Darjeeling and Kurseong constituencies, TMC and GNLF had supported the JAP candidate in Kalimpong.
Though the GJM managed to win all three seats, the coalition made a sizeable dent in GJM’s support base. The GJM winning margin dipped by more than 50% compared to the 2011 Assembly elections. JAP had made the formation of Kalimpong district the key issue for the Assembly elections and will continue to do so.
The GorkhaJan mu k ti Morcha is leaving no stone unturned to woo its dwindling support base back and strengthen the organisation in Kalimpong.
GJM chief Bimal Gurung is camping in Kalimpong since the past few days. Party insiders state that he will be camping in Kalimpong for a long spell and will be returning to Darjeeling for brief intervals.
JA P leaders demanding land rights ( patta) for residents of tea gardens and cinchona plantations are in Kolkata pressing their demand.
The TMC on an organisation revamp is making steady inroads. “For the municipal, panchayat and GTA elections we will definitely invite all anti-GJM parties to forge an alliance. The seat sharing equations can always be worked out later,” said TMC Hills president Rajen Mukhia.