Siliguri, Jan. 15: Urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya confronted Gorkha National Liberation Front chief Subash Ghisingh, saying the state government would go all out to hold the elections to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council on schedule.

Ghisingh had said, at a rally on January 10, that he would not allow the elections to be held unless an alternative to the autonomous council is worked out.

The Gorkha leader suggested two alternatives to the present council, in separate letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The first is constitutional recognition of the council and second a Sixth Schedule status for the body.

?He (Ghisingh) may have his own demands, but elections cannot be stalled because of that,? Bhattacharya said at a news conference today. ?By March 26, the new council will have to be in place, failing which the body will cease to exist under the provisions of the DGHC Act.?

Bhattacharya said the party would contest the council polls ? tentatively scheduled for the third week of February ? on the slogan ?Save democracy?.

?Democracy stands muzzled in the hands of the GNLF and the people are denied even the basic fundamental rights like freedom of speech and action. It is a blatant one-man show,? he said.

Bhattacharya countered allegations that there is no peace in the hills, saying: ?Ghisingh alone is to blame for that. There has been a sustained campaign by the GNLF to destabilise the hills for their own vested interests.?

The CPM has already worked out a seat-sharing mechanism. ?We have worked out a seat-sharing mechanism with other hill parties,? he said.

The CPM has decided to field candidates in eight seats and the CPI is likely to field one candidate from Kalimpong.