Kamtapur parties throw weight behind Jaswant

SILIGURI: The Darjeeling poll battle has become tougher for the CPM with both Kamtapuri parties extending support to Jaswant Singh, the BJP candidate backed by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha(GJM). Kamtapur Peoples Party and Kamtapur Progressive Party, though not too friendly with each other, are both going to support the BJP in Darjeeling.

"The decision was taken after we received written assurance from the BJP to be ���sympathetic��� to our demand of separate Kamtapur state comprising the districts of North Bengal," said Atul Roy, president, Kamtapur Progressive Party.

Kamtapur Peoples Party is going to officially announce its decision on the April 16, said it s president Nikhil Roy. Before the party split, Kamtapur Peoples Party (KPP) had massive support in the North Bengal districts. KLO, the militant wing of KPP, considered close to Ulfa, became the nightmare of the Left Front government earlier in this decade.

Tactical ground level activities of the CPM and police pressure forced the KPP to yield ground. But, it still enjoys a high level of sympathy among the Rajbangshi community ��� a fact accepted by the CPM leaders, themselves.

Naturally, losing the vote of Rajbangshis, who contribute around 15% to the total plains area voters in Darjeeling, would be costly for the CPM, which is desperate to win the seat with the votes of the plains only. It has not been able to begin its campaign in the hill areas dominated by the GJM.

Meanwhile, leader of Gorkha National Liberation Front Subash Ghisingh is expected to favour the CPM. Besides, the vote boycott decision of the Adivasis remains another problem for the CPM as its major votebank in the tea gardens is thickly populated with tribals.

However, all is not lost for CPM. It can successfully consolidate the anti-Gorkhaland feeling of the people of the plains. Even known supporters of the BJP from Siliguri, Matigara, Naxalbari, Phansidewa are now inclined to vote for the CPM.