Trinamul to open units in hills - Morcha rivals look forward to enlisting in Mamata party, see scope to return home

May 23: The Trinamul Congress has decided to set up units across the hills within a week, a move likely to have an impact on its relations with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha as many anti-Morcha supporters are looking to enlist themselves with Mamata Banerjee’s party. Trinamul, however, is yet to take a decision on whether it will contest the polls to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the new set-up for the hills. Trinamul point man for north Bengal, minister Gautam Deb, told The Telegraph: “Many people from the hills want to join Trinamul. We, too, feel that since our presence is strong in the rest of Bengal we should also have units in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.” Deb added that the names of many hill leaders wanting to join Trinamul had been forwarded to the state committee for a final screening. “The process is on and within a week the names are likely to be cleared. Rajen Mukhia is among those whose names have been forwarded,” said Deb. Mukhia, a former GNLF leader, was one of the few people to hold fort against the Morcha in Panighatta even after Subash Ghisingh fled the hills in 2008. Morcha and Mukhia’s supporters frequently clashed in the area. Mukhia joined the ABGL after the murder of its president Madan Tamang but soon resigned and has been lying low since. Mukhia’s decision to join Mamata’s party is an indication that many GNLF leaders who have been forced to stay in the plains after being hounded out by the Morcha is now looking at joining Trinamul to return to the hills. One such leader weighing his options said: “We have started mobilising support in all eight blocks of the Darjeeling hills. Our (those planning to join Trinamul) motive is to contest the GTA elections as and when they are held.” Asked if Trinamul would face problems in making its presence felt in the hills since the party is against statehood, the leader said: “I think we will have to take a stand where we will not oppose the statehood demand nor support it for the moment. In any case, the Morcha is backing the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration at the moment.” Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said the party was yet to decide whether it would contest the GTA polls. “We have given Deb the charge to expand our base in the hills. He will send us a report. Then we will decide whether we will contest the polls.” The Morcha, which claimed that it was not concerned with Trinamul setting up units, has started holding meetings in the Panighatta area from today. The meeting will be held for four consecutive days. “The meetings will discuss organisational matters and have nothing to do with Rajen Mukhia’s move to join Trinamul. He was never with the Morcha and we have no reason to give him importance now. We are not worried,” said the convener of the Morcha’s Mirik unit Phubi Rai. Trinamul’s rivals alleged that the party opening units in the hills did not mean that it would contest the GTA polls. “Forming units is a show-off, it’s not a serious move. Any political party can form committees in the hills. It is too early to comment whether they will contest the GTA polls or not. But everybody knows about the nexus between Trinamul and the Morcha. We don’t think Trinamul will campaign in the hills asking people not to vote for the Morcha,” said former minister and CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya.(TT)