Congress against mouzas inclusion in Gorkhaland Administration

Siliguri, March 21: The Congress is against the inclusion of any plains mouzas in the new set-up for the hills, PCC president Pradip Bhattacharya said today, referring to the demand of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Bhattacharya has recently written to Justice (retired) Shyamal Sen, the chairman of the committee formed to look into the Morcha demand, conveying his party’s dissent.

“There is no logic behind the demand. Our party feels that none of these areas should be brought within the ambit of the GTA. We have, after consultation with local leaders of north Bengal, written to the committee, expressing dissent,” Bhattacharya told The Telegraph over the phone from Calcutta today. “We are an ally in the state government, which has been silent on the issue and is waiting for the committee’s recommendations. But as a political party, we felt the need to assert our stand and so sent the letter.”

The Congress assertion comes at a time when differences between the Morcha and the state are widening. The hill party is not ready to go for GTA polls unless the Gorkha-dominated mouzas from the Dooars and the Terai are brought under it jurisdiction. But the state wants an immediate election.

Trinamul alleged that political compulsion prompted the Congress to write to the committee. “Unlike our party, the Congress has a limited base in north Bengal. Now that the territory issue has emerged as the principal deterrent in holding the GTA polls, the Congress made this assertion to avoid antagonising its supporters in north Bengal,” said a senior Trinamul leader.

The Sen-led committee had invited all political parties and individuals to submit their opinion on territory. “What is unnatural is that the Congress was so long silent. Now, suddenly they sent their objections to the committee. We are partners in the state government but we were not consulted,” the Trinamul leader added.

Trinamul has not made any submission before the committee.

The Congress by writing to the committee was trying to retain its support base among the anti-Morcha people in the plains, the Trinamul leader said.

“Congress MPs and MLAs are finding it tough to compete with Trinamul legislators. Look at the sort of work we are doing regarding infrastructure development and opening of tea gardens,” said north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb.

The Morcha said the Congress stand on territory was contradictory.

“At the central level, Union home minister P. Chidambaram, who is from the Congress, is aware of the contents of the GTA agreement including the issue related to territory. But at the state level, the same party is petitioning the committee not to give us territory. They should leave it to the committee to decide on the issue on its own,” said Harka Bahadur Chhetri, the Morcha spokesperson and Kalimpong MLA.