Hill TMC gears up for Mamata’s visit,Kurseong TMC activists in a festive mood for CM’s visit

Darjeeling, 21 October
The Hill unit of the Trinamul Congress (TMC) is now gearing up to show that it has eaten its way deep in the political space of the restive Hills to send shivers down the GJMM's spine. “Come Thursday and we would prove the point by way of a mammoth congregation at the public gathering of  Chief Minister Miss Mamata Banerjee at Chowrasta, the heart centre of the Hill station,” claimed the unit’s spokesperson, Mr Binny Sharma. Arches are being erected at several points to welcome the chief minister.
The observers said the ruling party has selected Chowrasta on design. “Things culminating in the frozen relation between the ruling party and the GJMM started from here, the nerve-centre of Darjeeling town, in the end of January when the CM proclaimed the indivisibility of Bengal, fuelling protest from a section of the people present. This time, she might reiterate her stance and it is expected that it would court applause instead of derision and protest,” an observer said. 
“We hope that over 20,000 people would turn up at Chowrasta to welcome Ms Banerjee,” said Mr Sharma, adding that about 4000 people associated with  different political parties are  likely to join TMC that day.
How the GJMM would react to the TMC’s gathering is not known. However, with the party opting for a rapprochement with the ruling party, there is little option of manoeuvrability left in them. Making it clear that the party is going for a truce, a senior party leader, deemed close to Mr Bimal Gurung, Mr Jyotikumar Rai, said the three MLAs of his party are likely to attend the TMC gathering at Chowrasta. “However, we have not received any invitation yet,” he said. 
Mr Gurung and Mr Roshan Giri, are out of the town now.

Kurseong TMC activists in a festive mood for CM’s visit

Kurseong, 21 October
Ahead of the Chief Minister Miss Mamata Banerjee’s Kurseong trip, the activists of the ruling Trinamul Congress are now engaged in providing the town with a festive look, literally wrapping it in party flags and festoons. “Our leader is the harbinger of development and peace. We are determined to give her a warm and colourful welcome here,” said one of them.
The TMC flags and festoons are found fluttering along both sides of the road the CM’s cavalcade would pass through. “It seems the festival ambience has returned here,” said a resident of the town.
It is learnt that the CM would come to Sukna, located at the foothills from Siliguri tomorrow evening. The next day, she will go up to Kurseong and would meet the members of the Lepcha Development Board at Saint Alphonsus School premises.  Later, she is expected to meet the representatives from the newly formed Darjeeling Himalayan Karmachari Sangathan, an outfit representing the cause of the casual workers. Many of them were members of JAKS, the GJMM’s affiliate for the casual
workers.  Later in the same day or the day after, she would go further up to  
Darjeeling to address the political gathering slated at Chowrasta for 24 October. 
A TMC student front leader, Mr Vipin Lama said they are wrapping up the town in party flags to show their support for the CM’s agenda of development for the long vegetating Hills. “The leaders of the pro-Grkhaland parties have cheated us in the name of the statehood. The TMC being a national party would ensure that our voice kept in the wilderness for long would resonate in the mainstream politics. Regional parties have left us high and dry and it is time for ridding ourselves of the baggage of regionalism and stride into the heart of the national politics. TMC would surely lead us to that consummation,” he added.
The Hill TMC general secretary, Mr N B Khawas said hundreds of people from other parties would join his party tomorrow, the day Miss Banerjee would begin her Siliguri/ Hill trip. (SNS)