Darjeeling News: Down, Ghisingh eyes Cong push to reach Darjeeling Hill top

With the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha extending its support to BJP senior leader Jaswant Singh in Darjeeling, Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), which till recently was considered to be a spent force in the area, has begun reorganising its cadres to support the Congress. Though the GNLF is yet to formally make an announcement, party chief Subash Ghisingh, who was ousted from the hills, is reportedly trying to enter Darjeeling for ensuring support to the Congress.

“Discussions are on. We are talking with all our leaders and workers in Darjeeling and surrounding areas. One thing is sure that we will not go with the BJP,” said Santa Chhetri, a GNLF leader of Kurseong.

Attempts are on to let Ghisingh enter Darjeeling ahead of the elections under police protection. He was ousted from the hills after a massive agitation by the GJM, led by their leader Bimal Gurung. Ghisingh now shuttles between Siliguri and Jalpaiguri and is keen to enter Darjeeling, having realised that a section of the people are not happy with Gurung.

Recently, Ghisingh and his supporters had approached the police for providing security to the leader when he entered Darjeeling. “We are ensuring that every person has the right to move into Darjeeling freely. Ghisingh has requested us to provide protection when he goes to Darjeeling. We will provide him with adequate police protection,” said a senior police officer from north Bengal.

Acording to GNLF sources, the party has little choice other than backing a Congress candidate, since it opposes the CPM and is unable to support the BJP. The party does not enjoy enough mass base to put up its own candidate.

“However we have good following among the Gorkhas in the foothills and plains surrounding Darjeeling. Our support will definitely give some edge to the candidate,” said a senior leader of the GNLF.

The sitting Congress MP, Dawa Narbula, had won the seat in the 2004 elections by a margin of 1,01,416 votes. Narbula had managed a major share of his votes from the three Assembly segments of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Darjeeling, where Gorkhaland activists held sway. But this time, since the GJM is backing the BJP, GNLF support to the Congress will put the party in reckoning.