Aroop meeting on nominees

Aroop Biswas

TT, Siliguri, April 16: Bengal minister and Trinamul leader Aroop Biswas held a meeting with party leaders from the hills here today to discuss on a number of issues ahead of the upcoming civic polls.

Though Biswas did not speak to the media, Trinamul insiders said discussions were held on the lists of candidates who would be fielded in different wards of the four hill municipalities of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik. Elections in these four civic bodies would be held May 14.

"As per the instructions from our state leaders, we had prepared lists of prospective candidates for the four municipalities. It has been decided that the party will field candidates in all the seats. In today's meeting, our leaders Aroop Biswas and Gautam Deb are likely to go through the lists and finalise the names. We are carrying detail information about the prospective candidates," a Trinamul leaders based in Kurseong said, ahead of the meeting.

The meeting, sources said, continued till late in the evening where the hill leaders also apprised Biswas about the decisions made by Jan Andolan Party and GNLF. Both these parties were in alliance with Trinamul at the 2016 Assembly polls but have decided to contest individually at the ensuing civic elections.

"Trinamul has garnered considerable support base in hills. However, it still needs allies like JAP and the GNLF to ensure that anti-Morcha votes do not divide as it would only help Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Aroop Biswas had earlier extended an olive branch to JAP chief Harka Bahadur Chhetri but the latter has decided to contest alone and has iterated it today," an observer said.