TMC slams `invisible' Ahluwalia

TT, 28 Dec 2018, Siliguri: Trinamul leaders on Thursday slammed Darjeeling BJP MP S.S. Ahluwalia over his "prolonged absence" from the constituency.

"It is over a year now that the MP has not visited the hills. Also, those residing the plains have hardly seen him. People should know these facts and question what he has done in the past four-and-half years for his constituency," said state minister and Darjeeling (plains) district Trinamul chief Gautam Deb.

He was speaking at a public meeting organised by the Trinamul Mahila Congress at Baghajatin Park in Siliguri. It was a preparatory programme ahead of the January 19 rally to be addressed by Mamata Banerjee at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Calcutta.

Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and some other district leaders were also present at the Siliguri meeting.

Trinamul's criticism of Ahluwalia echoes comments by leaders of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's Binay Tamang lobby in the hills.

Ever since Tamang has taken reins of the party in his hands, he and his associates have accused the BJP of having "using" the hill population twice -- in 2009 and 2014 Parliament elections -- to win the seat.

"The sudden changes in political situation after the statehood agitation of last year have been a setback for the BJP. The party has fast lost its support and also held back the MP from visiting the hills. It is clear now that leaders of Morcha and Trinamul will time and again raise this issue as they have perceived it to be one of the weaker points of BJP as they go into campaign for the Lok Sabha elections," said an observer.

Party insiders said they will also mention about the "non-fulfilment" of commitments by the MP and his party to the hill people. "We would mention to people that BJP leaders had promised a central university in hills but eventually, the state is building the varsity. Though there has been an MP of BJP in the constituency, no major development project was carried out by the central government in the hills and plains," said a Trinamul leader.

Political analysts said un- like other seats of north Bengal where Trinamul will speak on BJP's policies and will be critical at the Centre for its decisions, it will refer the MP's name and draw comparisons.

"On one hand, Trinamul has taken the strategy prove to voters that despite their support to BJP, it is the state and not the Centre that has carried out development in hills. Tamang and his Morcha colleagues will speak on issues like the Centre's delay in giving ST status to 11 hill communities and non-fulfilment of the statehood demand," said a political analyst.