Six days after the Congress and the Left Front started discussions over forming a pre-poll alliance in Tripura, the two made their first joint media appearance Thursday along with a third partner – Tripura Peoples Party (TPP) – and said they would fight together in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the north-eastern state.
At a press conference in Agartala Thursday, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, and leaders of other Left Front constituents like the CPI, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) and the CPI(ML), shared the dais with state Congress president Birajit Sinha, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, ex-MLA Ashish Saha and functionaries of the Tripura Peoples Party. The leaders said all secular and democratic forces have come together in the fight against the BJP.
The parties also held the first round of talks for seat sharing Thursday. They said more meetings would be held soon to finalise the modalities of the adjustment.
Explaining the formula to be adopted in this regard, state Congress president Birajit Sinha said: “Seats would be shared taking into account who has a better chance of defeating the BJP in a given seat. Discussions are going on; the final stage hasn’t been reached yet.”
Meanwhile, the Congress and the Left said they were hoping to have the TIPRA Motha on board as well and added that the tribal party has endorsed their alliance against the “sinister design of murderous politics”. The Motha, though, is yet to make any formal announcement on joining the alliance.
“It’s true we had bitterness. People were murdered during the Left Front regime. People were murdered during the Congress-led coalition regime as well. But we have left that bitterness behind and have come together. We want not just an alliance of political parties but the people of the state to form an alliance,” said Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, who was among the first to call for a united front against the BJP last year.
He said the ruling party has intensified assaults on Opposition supporters and leaders out of desperation after sensing the mood of the people.
Attacking the BJP, he further said: “People want to know if they can vote in the elections this year since recent experiences speak otherwise. Votes were looted in all elections since the BJP came to power… We appeal to all secular, democratic forces to come together on a single platform and fight against the fascist, undemocratic government and defeat it.”
CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury Thursday said all anti-BJP, secular and democratic political parties are being brought on a common platform to save democracy and the Constitution, and to make sure people can come out and cast their vote freely in the coming polls.
He also said the alliance, tentatively called the ‘Secular Democratic Force’, would hold a rally in Agartala on January 21 and submit a deputation to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on ensuring a free and fair election.
“The rally would have no political colour and would be held on the issue of ‘My Vote, My Right’. The participants would carry only the national flag and party flags would not be used during the rally,” he further said.
Talking about the response from TIPRA Motha, Chaudhury said the Motha supremo has endorsed the alliance.
“Regarding electoral understanding, TIPRA Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma said he would ensure that the BJP doesn’t get any advantage from the differences among anti-BJP parties… We are hoping for the best. He has assured us that he would participate in our endeavour to defeat the BJP. We hope he will not go against the people’s desire,” the Communist leader said.
Asked if the Communist party was now supporting the Greater Tipraland demand, the CPI(M) state secretary said tribals were neglected in the last seven decades and the problems arising out of such neglect will have to be addressed. However, he added: “If Greater Tipraland speaks for development, upliftment of tribals and justice, we support that as well. But we don’t support the bifurcation of the state… We accept all their demands as far as development issues are concerned.”
Notably, the Communist party has come a long way from its usual stand of opposing the Congress in Tripura and this is the first time the Left is allying with the Congress here, although the two have formed alliances in other states like West Bengal in the past. While the BJP claims ‘real Congress supporters’ would never accept the alliance, given the history of violence between the Left and the Congress, Secular Democratic Force leaders Thursday claimed the union would rather put an end to the political violence between the erstwhile rivals as they were now allies.
“The BJP is scared since we have come close. The Congress and the CPI(M) have come together… We hope crimes and murders will stop in the future. People are happy… Seeing our unity, the BJP is having sleepless nights,” Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman said.
The alliance partners said they would announce their individual poll manifesto and would then discuss and publish a ‘Common Minimum Programme’ (CMP) for the 2023 Tripura polls.
Notably, eight MLAs have quit the ruling BJP-IPFT combine so far – out of which four joined the TIPRA Motha, three joined the Congress and one legislator joined the Trinamool Congress but later left the Mamata Banerjee-led party as well.
Tripura, which used to be a princely state ruled by Manikya monarchs, merged with India in 1949. On January 26, 1950, Tripura was accorded the status of a ‘C’ category state and it was recognised as a Union Territory on November 1, 1956. It gained statehood on January 21, 1972.
The polls for the 60-member Tripura Assembly will be held in a single phase on February 16. The counting of votes will be held on March 2.