BJP MLA in Tripura joins TMC, Mamta Banerjee to visit in December

Trinamool Congress (TMC) got a shot in the arm in Tripura on Sunday when an MLA of the ruling BJP joined the party months before the state goes for Assembly elections.

MLA Ashish Das, who was elected in 2018 from Surma constituency in Dhalai district, joined TMC at a programme in Agartala which was addressed by the party general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee.

Addressing a group of party workers and supporters, Abhishek said some other MLAs would also join the party soon as a wave in support of Trinamool already swept people of the state. "BJP and Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb is worried over this wave in support of Trinamool. Let me make a promise today that TMC would throw away BJP and establish a people's government in 2023. Trinamool will fight till the last drop of blood to ensure that democratic values remain intact in Tripura," he said.

Abhishek said Mamta Banerjee will visit Agartala in December.

Elections for 60-member Assembly are slated in early 2023. Trinamool set its eyes on Tripura after Mamta Banerjee-led government emerged victorious in Bengal for the third consecutive term in May. TMC targetted at least six MLAs in Tripura, who are believed to be unhappy with Biplab Kumar Deb.

Das said he decided to join Trinamool as BJP failed to fulfill the promises it made in 2018 when it formed its first government defeating the 25-year-old CPI(M) government. "As the government failed to fulfill the promises, be it for providing employment to addressing the issues of education, BJP-led government has failed in all fronts. As a result, the BJP workers, who made the promises to people at the grassroots are unable to face the people again," he said.

Tripura government had earlier denied permission for the TMC programme citing a possibility of Covid-19 spread. But Tripura HC on Saturday granted permission after TMC promised in the court that not more than 500 people would gather at the function on Sunday.

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