Darjeeling, April 27: Dawa Narbula, the Congress candidate for Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, took an oath in public today stating that he would fulfil all poll promises based on the People’s Democratic Front manifesto if he was elected.

The PDF released its poll manifesto, countersigned by Narbula on the occasion.

PDF chairman Madan Tamang said: “Dawa Narubla has now promised to work for the hills based on the issues raised by the PDF. The public is witness to his promise and we in the PDF stand as his guarantors. If he does not work for the people he will have a difficult time.”

The PDF leaders today reminded people that they had been “coerced” into not exercising their basic political right of franchise in the past three Lok Sabha polls by the GNLF. They called on the general public to participate in the poll in order to usher in “a new era” in hill politics.

The PDF manifesto covers every issue from granting constitutional guarantee to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, solving the drinking water crisis in the hills, generating employment opportunities and streamlining traffic in the three hill towns of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.

The PDF leadership also launched a vitriolic attack on Asok Bhattacharya, chastising him for taking a “dual stand” on the party’s relations with the GNLF.

Darjeeling MLA D.K. Pradhan, reminded people that not long ago, Bhattacharya had dubbed the DGHC as an “undemocratic and corrupt institution”.

“He has changed his version now. He is not really interested in the welfare of the hill people,” said Pradhan.

The PDF maintained that the CPM candidate was a Bhattacharya’s “stooge” and labelled her an “outsider”.

“The CPM is playing on the “daughter of the hills” sentiment. The candidate is from Silchar and has never seen how people have to line up till midnight to get even a bucket of water,” said Pradhan.

CPM candidate Moni Thapa hails from Silchar where she completed her graduation.

The failure of the state government to solve the water crisis in the town also figured prominently in the leaders’ speeches. Many speakers said it was futile to expect a government that had not addressed the issue for the past 27 years to do so in the next five.

Maximum fire, however was reserved for the GNLF, which drew flak from almost every leader.

H.B. Chhetri, a senior leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, questioned the rationale of the GNLF-affiliated Himalayan Plantation Workers’ Union call for a boycott in the cinchona plantations. “The cinchona plantation is with the state government and not with the Centre. They have no reason to boycott the parliamentary election,” said Chhetri.

Prospects of the GNLF issuing a boycott call was uppermost in the mind of PDF leaders who exhorted people to come out and vote.