TMC in hill polls

 T T;Siliguri, July 7: The Trinamul Congress will field candidates in “some seats” for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration polls, north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb announced today. “We will participate peacefully in the polls. We intend to work to restore peace in the hills and facilitate the formation of the GTA so that development takes place in the region. As the democratic process has been initiated, our party wants to be a part of it and will field candidates in some of the seats for the GTA elections,” he said. Although the minister refused to divulge the names of candidates or the number of seats the party would contest, Trinamul sources said initial plans were to field candidates in 15 to 20 of the 45 seats. The party plans to back Independents in the remaining seats, the sources said. CPM candidate Saman Pathak, a former Rajya Sabha MP from Darjeeling, alleged he was assaulted by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters in Kurseong’s Ambootia Fatak when he went to file his nomination. He said three other senior leaders accompanying him were also beaten up. The Morcha denied the allegation.