Focus on hill aspirations: Deb

TT, 17 Mar 2019, Siliguri: Trinamul leader and state minister Gautam Deb said on Saturday the party had provide "space" to ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to meet the aspirations of hill residents by jointly fileding its nominee for the Lok Sabha polls.

In the Darjeeling seat, Trinamul has fielded Amar Singh Rai, the current Morcha MLA from Darjeeling and a prominent leader of the hill party.

"The Darjeeling seat is only for the hill people and we want their aspirations to be met. That is why Amar Singh Rai has been chosen as he is the best candidate for the seat, considering the perception of common people living in hills. There is no division among Gautam Deb and Binay Tamang in Siliguri on Saturday. (Passang Yolmo) those living in the hills and plans and we will contest the poll together. Our party believes that it is always better to retreat by some steps if it helps in creating space for our brothers in the hills. Such a step can contribute in meeting their aspirations and to facilitate development in the re- gion," said Deb, the Darjeeling (plains) district Trinamul president.

He was speaking after a meeting held with Morcha chief Binay Tamang, his deputy Anit Thapa and the hill Trinamul leaders. The meeting was held at the district Trinamul office here this morning.

The assertion, party insiders said, was a message to voters of Darjeeling Parliament seat that Trinamul is sincere in helping its ally and has thus chosen Rai, who is a known face in the hills.

Political observers too, pointed that after selection of the candidate, there were murmurs in some quarters, both in plains and hills over the choice and the decision to field him in Trinamul's symbol.

"There were murmurs that whether Trinamul intends to bag the seat with Morcha's support," said an observer.

Trinamul's approach, he said, is also to prove that the party is different from BJP. It was also evident as Deb, while speaking to the media, said: "We do not have any hidden agenda and want to work for hills together." "By hidden agenda, he obliquely referred to BJP that had won in two consecutive Parliament elections in Darjeeling seat. The party had used the sentiment of hill people to earn support for candidates who are not from the hills and had won the seat. We have however, fielded a candidate who is from the hills," said a Trinamul leader..