Supporters of Tripura Pradesh Congress held a rally in Agartala on Saturday to welcome the former BJP MLAs – Sudip Roy Barman and Ashish Saha who re-joined Congress recently – after they arrived in the city today from New Delhi.
Later a public meeting was held at the Congress Bhawan premises and State Congress chief Birajit Sinha in presence of party’s Observer Dr Ajay Kumar and other State leaders formally welcomed Roy Barman and Saha.
Addressing his first public gathering after switchover, Roy Barman said no political party is untouchable for us. He appealed to all to join hands with Congress to build up peaceful Tripura.
Later, Dr Ajay Kumar and other leaders went to meet ex-PCC chief Pijush Kanti Biswas who along with his son and others quit the Party and floated a new political party after Birajit Sinha became the State president replacing Biswas.
Sources close to the party said, both the leaders talked about the emerging political situation in the State and Dr Kumar urged Biswas to make a comeback into Congress.
Even as he did not categorically made any appeal to the Leftists – but his statement has already became a talk of the town giving rise to a speculation that Congress and CPM may form some sorts of understandings.
Meantime, apprehension among the Congress supporters who withstood the Leftist attacks during the latter’s 25 years rule is palpable. Many are worried that an alliance between Congress and CPM like the Bengal model may be formed in Tripura in the name of fighting BJP.
“If that really happens in Tripura, Congress, like in Bengal, will become extinct here also”, said one of the supporters.
Besides, with the re-entry of Roy Barman into the Congress, many supporters are apprehending internal squabbles between the leaders.
Sudip Roy Barman and Ashish Saha both started their political career as Congress leaders and became MLAs in Congress ticket. Later, they switched loyalty to the Trinamool Congress but they quit TMC before the 2018 Assembly polls and joined BJP. Both managed to get tickets and won the polls as BJP MLAs.
However, as the BJP government in Tripura is set to complete four years in power, Roy Barman and Saha resigned from the Assembly memberships as well as the party. Later, they re-joined the Congress.
