West Bengal BJP coordinating with Tripura unit to counter TMC

In a bid to blunt the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) effort to revive its influence in Tripura, Bengal BJP leadership is keenly watching its every move. State BJP sources said the party was working in collaboration with the Tripura unit so that there are no discrepancies in their statements.

"This is to ensure that there are no discrepancies in the statements issued by the spokespersons of both the state units. We are keeping an eye on what is happening in Tripura and carefully deciding our comments on it," a senior State BJP leader said.

State BJP insiders revealed that it has shared statistics of alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal with the Tripura unit as a means to blunt TMC’s advances.

Also read: Detention of I-PAC team in Tripura hotel infringement of right to information: Former CM

TMC has ramped up its activities in Tripura following the detention of 23 members of poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC by the police for allegedly violating Covid-19 protocols. They were later granted anticipatory bail.

Several heavyweight TMC leaders such as Education Minister Bratya Basu, Law Minister Malay Ghatak, MPs Derek O’ Brien and Kakali Ghosh Dastidar visited Tripura in the last couple of days. Making it clear that TMC will go full head of steam in Tripura, Basu said that "if needed party supremo Mamata Banerjee will visit the State."

However, Tripura BJP spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said that there was nothing new in such an exchange of information between state units of the party.

Also read: Mamata coins 'Save Democracy, Save Nation' slogan for anti-BJP front before leaving Delhi

"We are a national party. Our organisation in all the states works in a cohesive manner and exchanges information with one another. Our organisation in all the states works in a cohesive manner. We have exchanged information with Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh and its IT Cell. But it will not be correct to say that the actions are only aimed towards countering the TMC,” said Chakraborty.

Tripura BJP general secretary Kishor Barman said that it would not be easy for the TMC to gain ground in Tripura.

"We don’t consider anyone as an outsider. But for a party like the TMC which has resorted to terror and corruption in Bengal it would not be easy to gain ground in Tripura,” said Barman.