CPI-M upbeat about Hill rural elections

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SNS, SILIGURI, 14 DECEMBER 2022: As the rural elections in the Hills will be held after 22years, the CPI-M is upbeat about contesting the polls. The party is also banking on trade union activities in the Hills, Rural polls in the state are likely to be held next year, while the elections in the Hills will be held for two tiers--gram panchayat and panchayat samiti, which fall under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration area.

There has been no elected grant panchayat in the Hills since 2005.

According to district party secretary Saman Pathak, they have planned to appeal to like-minded, democratic forces to join hands to counter the Trinamul Congress and the BJP

"We will contest the rural elections in the Hills as it will be held after more than two decades. The politics in the Hills is largely polarized by the Trinamul Congress and the BJP. We had raised objections on the delimitation to increase the number of electorate in a gram panchayat seat front 250 to 700. Hill politics is now a divided house between the

Trinamul Congress and the BJP In order to defeat both the forces, we will appeal to the democratic forces to join hands," Mr Pathak said.

He said they will also focus on the intense trade union activities carried out especially on demanding the implementation of the minimum wages for tea plantations under the platform of the Joint Forum. He said they will highlight corruption, nepotism, and politics of capturing elected local bodies in campaigns.

The party lost its ground in the Hills when the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha was emerging as a strong force in 2007. It is no longer considered a formidable political force in the Hills. Meanwhile, District Left Front convener Jibesh Sarkar said the Front will field candidates in the upcoming rural elections in four gram panchayats under the Dabgram Fulbari Assembly constituency in Jalpaiguri district.

"Corruption, nepotism, land grabbing and other illegal activities have been rampant with patronage of the ruling party. Our call is to defeat the Trinamul Congress and the BJP and prevent vote loot. People want to get rid of the situation. We will hold a party workers' convention tomorrow where we will discuss programmes," Mr Sarkar said.

According to veteran party leader and former Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) chairman Dilip Singh, as part of the campaign they will press for the demand for either a separate municipality for the area or their inclusion in the corporation.