Agartala: Failing to secure party nomination from Kailashahar of Unakoti district, sitting CPI-M MLA Moboshar Ali on Friday switched to the BJP with an assurance that he would be made the saffron outfit’s candidate from the same constituency in the February 16 Tripura Assembly poll.
CPI-M State Secretary Jitendra Chowdhury said that following detailed discussions with Ali in the greater interest of anti-BJP unity, the party had sacrificed Kailashahar constituency for Congress from where its state npresident Birjit Sinha is likely to be in the fray.
“Moboshar Ali gladly accepted the proposal because under BJP’s rule people of Tripura have suffered a lot for five years and Ali himself was attacked several times by BJP goons. The party had made him MLA in 2018 considering his past and trust in his communist behaviour but just for not getting a nomination he switched to a party that the people of the state have decided to oust. It’s really unfortunate,” Chowdhury said.
Ali’s entry into BJP has created unrest in the Unakoti district among the leaders. The ticket aspirants have reportedly conveyed their displeasure over the selection of CPI-M MLA as their candidate depriving others who have been working for the party for the last five years. However, party district president and Labour Minister Bhagaban Das said, “I am not aware of the development. Certainly, the party will take the decision considering all angles.”
On the other hand, senior Congress leader and former minister Billal Mia who lost his Boxanagar seat in the seat adjustment deal between CPI-M and Congress has announced he would fight against CPI-M and BJP on a TIPRA Motha ticket. In the seat-sharing deal, Congress got only 13 and the rest 47 were given to the left front, which has triggered resentment among the party leaders and workers.
“Considering the performance of the party in the last five years in the elections and support base we demanded 23 seats from CPI-M but they declined our request. As a result, we have lost our prospective seats like Pabiacherra, Kalyanpur, Barjala, Badharghat, Majlishpur, Bishalgarh, Boxanagar, R K Pur, and Belonia. The CPI-M has kept these seats with them but we are sure they don’t have the base to win the seats rather it would help BJP,” said Congress MLA Sudip Roybarman.
A proposal to take a fresh look at these seats has been referred to AICC and CPI-M leadership as well. If the Left front sticks to its stand denying reality, Congress has no other option but to field their candidates in all these 10 seats to fulfill the peoples’ aspiration, he said.
“Congress and CPI-M joined hands to defeat BJP and we promised to sacrifice for greater interest. We have shown our gesture by seeking only a 38 percent seat share despite having better performance in all post-2018 elections and being in power in three states. Communists must realize that people are not in favour of them for their activities during their 25-year rule. Because of the misrule of BJP in five years and their proximity with Congress now, people may consider them in a few places,” the leader added.
The Left Front on Wednesday announced it would contest 47 seats, leaving 13 to Congress.
