Trinamool Congress holds rally in Agartala; Mahua Moitra slams BJP

Former Tripura TMC chief Subal Bhowmik has reportedly decided to leave the TMC

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday organised an impressive street rally and a public meeting in Agartala without the participation of senior State leaders like Subal Bhowmik. The party which suffered an organisational blow after facing a humiliating defeat in the byelections to four Assembly seats in July this year is trying to recreate its importance in the State’s political arena.

‘Tripura Didi Ke Chai’ (Tripura Wants Mamata Banerjee) was the official caption of the party programmes here. TMC’s star campaigners MP Mahua Moitra and MP Kakoli Dastidar were specially invited to attend the rally and public meeting also joined by State Observers Rajiv Banerjee and Sushmita Dev.

Subal Bhowmik, who was earlier removed as State president over “internal issues”, and leaders close to him did not turn up. Interestingly, former State In-charge Ashish Lal Singh who was side-lined after Bhowmik took the lead last year was seen at Monday’s events.

Subal Bhowmik has reportedly made up his mind to leave the TMC to join the BJP or the Congress – his past political platforms. The BJP said his joining should be unconditional and the party would not promise him a nomination in upcoming Assembly elections.

Mahua Moitra in her aggressive speech at the public meeting lashed out at the BJP governments at the Centre and the State. She said the BJP in Tripura lost its credibility after changing its Chief Minister amid “all round failures”.

She alleged that the ruling party hardly fulfilled its election pledges and said people of the State were fooled with false promises.