North Bengal Development minister Gautam
Deb has challenged Gorkha Janamukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung over the
latter’s decision to side with the BJP. Presently in Delhi, Gurung has
reportedly said TMC candidate Baichung Bhutia will hardly muster 15,000
votes in the hills. But speaking at a party meet today at the Siliguri
Indoor Stadium, Deb challenged Gurung by asserting Bhutia would garner
at least 75,000 votes.
The minister said TMC workers will guard
the 869 polling booths in Darjeeling to prevent rival parties from
influencing or scaring voters. Meanwhile, Bhutia said he is not
considering the BJP-GJM alliance a challenge at all. He said hill
resident are well aware of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s works and
the irresponsibility shown by MP Jashwant Singh.
Bhaichung further said regional parties
will gain significance at the Centre thanks to the genuine efforts of
Banerjee. This will improve the economic condition of the nation and the
hills will also not be left behind, he claimed.
Deb confident of wresting Darjeeling seat
Kicking-off the Trinamool Congress’
election campaign today in the hills, North Bengal Development
Department minister Gautam Deb expressed confidence of winning the
Darjeeling parliamentary seat by a margin of more than 1 lakh votes from
the plains alone.
Addressing party supporters in
Darjeeling, the minister pepped up the atmosphere saying the time has
come to prove the TMC is a force to reckon with in the hills.
"We are confident of winning the
Darjeeling seat. We have an able candidate in Bhaichung Bhutia and our
government is doing a lot for the hills. Now we must strengthen our base
and our activists must work overtime to make the party successful in
the polls," said Deb.
He also laid claim to the recent spate of development activities being undertaken in the hills.
"Our chief minister has visited the
hills more than 26 times. She has a vision of developing the region. We
have already started various projects in the hills," said Deb.
He cited the recently renovated Rohini
road in Kurseong, development boards for the Tamangs and Lepchas, the
planned engineering college and central university as some of the
initiatives of the state government for the hills.
"The process for making ad-hoc teachers
and casual workers permanent has already begun. We are also working to
providing more employment and we have started collecting data for the
purpose. Besides, we have written to the prime minister to include
Darjeeling and Cooch Behar districts under the backward region and tax
free zone. We will include this demand in our election manifesto,"
informed the minister.
Earlier in the day, Bhaichung Bhutia
visited the Mahakal temple in Chowrastha to offer prayers and seek
blessings for his poll campaign. However, he refused to take any
questions and just said, "I have come here to offer my prayers. What I
have prayed for is something personal and cannot be shared."
But during a press conference later in
the afternoon, the TMC candidate said, "For me it is a new life and I
want to work in the best manner possible. I believe the MP election is
for the future of our children. I will work transparently and honestly,
as I have done in the playing field.”
Bhaichung reiterated the need for ushering in mass development in the hills as the region has remained neglected for years.
He said, "Peace reigns in the hills now
because of our party. With peace we can bring in development. I am
surprised by the overwhelming response people are giving to our party.
As an MP from Darjeeling, I want to be the bridge between the hills and
the plains going forward."(EOIC)