Darjeeling: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday made it clear that the TMC would continue forging alliances including pre poll adjustments in the Hills in future elections. She ruled out chances of TMC "going at it alone" in the Hills.
Following the Civic polls in Darjeeling the Hill Trinamool Congress had urged the party high command to do away with pre-poll alliances in the Hills. They had held a review meeting following which a report had been sent to Subrata Bakshi, TMC State President in which the hill TMC leaders had urged the high command not to enter into pre poll alliance in future elections in the Hills.
The TMC had bagged 2 seats out of the 10 contested in the Darjeeling Municipal elections. The remaining 22 seats were contested by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in a seat adjustment with the TMC. The GJM managed to win 3 seats in the 22 seats they had contested.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, addressing party leaders at Nazrul Mancha, Kolkata on Tuesday cautioned Hill TMC leaders not to give isolated statements that could harm the party.
She stated that forging alliances in the Hills is a party decision. She even pulled up MP (Rajya Sabha) Shanta Chhetri and TMC Hill leader Binoy Tamang.
"I want to work with everybody. Darjeeling is peaceful now and I am happy. Darjeeling has started the election process and I am so happy. Next we will go for GTA elections but for that I will sit with all. We will make necessary adjustments with different parties. We want to see Darjeeling smile," she said.
In another development the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) suffered a jolt with front rung leaders Prakash Gurung and Binita Roka tendering their resignations. Prakash Gurung, a close confidant of Bimal Gurung is the President of the youth wing.
He had accompanied Bimal Gurung post 2017 agitations when Gurung had gone underground. Roka is a leader of the women's wing. Both have claimed that Gurung and the GJM have deviated from the main issues.