The Chief Minister is scheduled to meet him at the Writers’ Buildings tomorrow.

His rivals called it an “embarrassing retreat” in face of growing public pressure.

For the past three days, following picketing on roads leading to Darjeeling, Ghising had been staying at Pintail village resort near Siliguri.

He did not make any comment on the situation. But GNLF sources said Ghising took serious exception to the fact that the administration allowed a large number of slogan-shouting Morcha supporters to assemble near Siliguri.

A group was even allowed to begin hungerstrike almost at the doorstep of Pintail village resort.

Some of the GNLF leaders said Ghising had shown extreme restraint by asking his supporters not to go for any confrontation. But the state administration had not responded with equal maturity, they alleged.

Former chief minister Jyoti Basu, meanwhile, said Ghising is finding himself in a difficult situation with many of his supporters deserting him. They are the ones who are now turning the heat on Ghising, Basu said after a meeting at Alimuddin Street this morning.

The Darjeeling Gorkha Janakukti Morcha, which has been spearheading the present movement and refusing Ghising passage to Darjeeling, said the GNLF chief had fled in the face of a popular agitation.

“Our supporters will not spare him and soon the Morcha will have its supporters holding demonstrations at the Gorkha Bhavan in Kolkata where he has taken refuge,” said Bimal Gurung, leader of the Morcha.