takdahdarjeeling remal mukkan has spent a decade working at the sprawling peshok tea estate till a change of ownership reversed his fortunes a couple of seasons ago the new owner reduced the number of fulltime workers to twothirds from 960 men and women he recallsmukkan is not alone nanda tamang and gore tamang employed in the same facility say they have lost faith in all mainstream and even hills parties even if we vote today we will click on the nota option says goreat a time when both gjm factions led by bimal gurung and binay tamang are competing for the allegiance of tea workers who constitute around half of the darjeeling parliamentary constituency the buzz is that there is serious disillusionment amid this section of voters nonfixation of minimum wages and closed tea gardens are the two most important challengesat present three tea estates in the area are effectively shut but the management of a couple like dooteriah is still to issue formal closure notices around 2600 workers have been directly affected and around 15000 dependants and others have been hitchaisang tamang from 11th mile in takdah appeared resigned to fate we may or may not vote but when will political parties assure us basic wages usable roads and water at peshok as the buzz to boycott elections grew tmcgjm tamang faction candidate amar singh rai was approached for a visit local leaders told toi the residents have been amply pacified we have been assured certain things over the past 10 days we may vote in larger numbers on thursday said indraman gurungmukkan said several workers are being forced to work at rs 120130 instead of the minimum rs 176 that workers are expected to earn per day rai has been harping on the need to raise the issue even as saman pathak from cpm with years of labour movement behind him has questioned rais intentions all through this political campaignwe have formed a workers committee we collect tea leaves here and either brew and sell to local tourists or take them to lepchu we have even started growing vegetables at home elections will come and go but you need to be practical to weather all the storms he told toi