PC to visit hills, focus on Gorkhaland

Wilson being lifted by his supporters upon his release from the jail on Tuesday. Picture by Biplab Basak Siliguri/Darjeeling, April 5: Union home minister P. Chidambaram will campaign for the Congress in the Darjeeling hills on April 16 with focus on the Centre’s efforts to resolve the Gorkhaland imbroglio. “He will be in the hills on a day’s visit and will hold public meetings to apprise the people of the Congress’s policies and alliance with Trinamul,” Shankar Malakar, the Darjeeling district Congress president, said today. “His speeches will help us clarify to the people that we are sincere in resolving the political impasse in the hills and unlike the CPM, we will not complicate things.” Congress leaders in the hills said they were planning to hold rallies in Darjeeling and Kalimpong and an indoor meeting in Kurseong for Chidambaram. “However, we are yet to know his itinerary, based on which the meetings will be finalised,” said a leader. Observers said Chidambaram’s visit was significant as he had taken part in the tripartite talks involving the Centre, the state government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. “His comments on the subject will be more authentic and are likely to attract the attention of a good number of voters,” said an observer. The CPM has said the Union home minister is coming to the hills to improve the Congress’s relationship with the Morcha. “The alliance between the Trinamul Congress, Congress and the Morcha is an open secret. It seems that Chidambaram will tour the hills to cement the ties and assure the Morcha that its some more demands will be met,” said Jibesh Sarkar, a state committee member of the CPM. “People of Bengal will, however, reject them and their politics.” The Morcha, on the other hand, reacted cautiously to the news of the visit. “We welcome him as the Union home minister. But there is no question of supporting him as the Congress has fielded candidates against the Morcha nominees in the three hill seats,” said Shankar Adhikari, the convener of the Terai committee of the Morcha. “He is free to campaign and hold meetings. Let the people listen to all political parties and decide whom to vote for.” Wilson freed The Kalchini MLA, Wilson Champramari, was released from the Jalpaiguri Central Jail on Tuesday. The division bench of Calcutta High Court had granted him bail on March 30. He was arrested in connection with the violence at Sibchu on February 8. This time too, Wilson is contesting as a Morcha-backed Independent in Kalchini.