Statesman News Service
KALIMPONG, June. 17. — The chair of Darjeeling constituency’s Congress (I) MP Mr Dawa Narbula, who is also the president of the Darjeeling district Congress committee (hills), is in danger.
In a resolution, taken in the meeting of the frontal organisations of the Congress (I) here, Congress members have decided to project the former MP Mr KB Chettri as the president of Congress (hills), the election to which post is expected within this month.
Claiming that the present president Mr Narbula is too busy to be able to give the time demanded by this post, the president of the Darjeeling Youth Congress (DYC) Mr Dilip Prahdan said that the only person suitable to lead the Congress, at this juncture, is Mr Chettri who is also an AICC (All India Congress Committee) member.
Amidst much criticism that the Congress here has been in favour of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) Mr Pradhan said, “ The MP is busy attending programmes organised either by the GNLF or the PDF. Hence he has failed to strengthen the Congress (I)’s position in the hills”.
“He has not been able to focus on the party’s movement here. Even the meeting of the district committee, which should be conducted at least once every month, has not been held since 2003. Hence, we need someone who has time for the various activities of the party.”
Interestingly according to Mr Pradhan names of a few Congress(I) leaders have been proposed for the post without prior permission.
“We condemn all such activities. Some people have been trying to bring about differences within the party”, he said.
Elections to this post, held every 3 years, were last carried out in 2003 when Mr Narbula was elected as the president.
Evidently there are two factions between the supporters of Congress (I) here.
This is not for the first time that fissures have appeared within its hill division. Amidst much apprehension, Mr Narbula was elected as the MP last year. Then too a section of the Congress (I) had challenged the validity of the ticket provided to Mr Narbula.
Originally a candidate of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF), the GNLF supremo, Mr Subash Ghishing too extended his support to the Congress further confirming his victory.
Mr Narbula who is presently in New Delhi could not be contacted for his comments.