Ahead of chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Siliguri tomorrow, the Hill based political party Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), an ally of the Trinamul Congress, will begin election campaigning for TMC candidate Gopal Lama for Darjeeling LS seat, from Siliguri tomorrow.

The chief executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Anit Thapa, who is the president of BGPM, today said his party workers will welcome Gopal Lama, Trinamul Congress candidate for Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, at Bagdogra Airport and organise a political programme in Siliguri with the help of the Trinamul Congress.

Notably, Mamata Banerjee has fielded Gopal Lama, a former administrative officer of the state government, from Darjeeling LS seat.

According to sources, Miss Banerjee will be arriving at Bagdogra Airport around 3pm tomorrow and attend a programme to be held at Dinabandhu Mancha tomorrow.

She would hold a meeting with heads of various development boards and committees constituted by the state government.

Ms Banerjee will stay overnight at Uttarkanya, a branch secretariat and attend another state government’s services distribution programme at Dabgram on 13 March.

The BGPM president Anit Thapa today said that his party would start campaigning for TMC candidate Mr Lama from the rural belt in Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills.

“The situation of the Hills has changed compared to last LS polls. Support from the rural belt plays an important role to win LS seats. This time I am confident that the TMC candidate will win the Darjeeling seat,” Mr Thapa said.

According to Mr Thapa, the BGPM workers will showcase the recent statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to motivate the people against the BJP.

“It is clear from the statement of PM Modi that the BJP would do nothing for Gorkhas. We the Gorkha people need to understand what the BJP’s political motive is and answer to them through ballot,” Mr Thapa said.

Besides the BJP, when a few Hill-based political party leaders decided to contest the LS polls under the leadership of Bimal Gurung, the GTA chief executive Mr Thapa said, “They contested the last two tier rural polls in the Hills. But the BGPM won almost all civic bodies.”