According to the CPIM leaders, BJP could not manage to win 32 seats out total 60 seats because of the split in opposition votes between the Congress-CPIM alliance and TIPRA Motha Party.
Opposition parties of Tripura held a meeting in Agartala on Saturday in quest of the electoral understanding against the ruling BJP to prevent division of anti-BJP votes in the September 5 by-polls at Dhanpur and Boxanagar Assembly Constituencies.
“BJP’s defeat in both constituencies is our sole motive”, said Tripura Pradesh Congress Chief Asish Saha after the meeting.
Apart from Asish Saha, Congress MLAs Sudip Roy Barman and Gopal Roy, Leader of Opposition Animesh Debbarma from TIPRA Motha, CPIM state secretary and MLA Jiten Choudhury, Former Ministers and CPIM leaders Ratan Bhowmik and Manik Dey took part in the discussion held at the state headquarter of CPI-M at Melarmath in Agartala.
Notably, Congress formed a seat adjustment understanding with CPIM in the last Assembly Polls in February 2023. TIPRA Motha Party, after showing initial interest in a joint fight against the BJP, went to the polls alone.
According to the CPIM leaders, BJP could not manage to win 32 seats out total 60 seats because of the split in opposition votes between the Congress-CPIM alliance and TIPRA Motha Party.
Against this backdrop, today’s meeting sought to discuss the prevention of split in Opposition votes and ensure a one-to-one contest.
“We held a prolonged discussion on the prevailing political situation in the State. We held discussions to ensure BJP’s defeat in Dhanpur and Boxanagar”, Asish Saha commented and added a united fight against the BJP can only saffron party’s defeat.
Speaking to the media, Animesh Debbarma also said a split in votes paved the way for BJP and we should make a full effort to stop the division of anti-BJP votes.
He also made it clear that it is not yet the right time to comment on a possible opposition alliance as his party leaders will sit in a meeting and discuss the whole situation.
Even as Asish Saha sounded optimistic about an electoral understanding between the Opposition Parties, it remains to be seen whether local Congress leaders of the two by-poll-bound constituencies agree to a joint fight.
Recently, a group of local Congress leaders of Sonamura sub-division under which Dhanpur and Boxanagar fall, opposed the understanding with the CPIM claiming the understanding ruined the organizational prospect of the Congress in the sub-division.
Joining hands with Congress and CPIM will be a tough decision for the TIPRA Motha Party. As CPIM is a strong contender for both Dhanpur and Boxanagar, neither the Congress nor TIPRA Motha Party will make any electoral gain from the joint fight theory.