Rebel Tripura Congress leaders set to join TMC
FROM A CORRESPONDENT
Agartala, May 10: The suspended Congress leaders of Tripura led by former leader of the opposition, Sudip Roy Barman are set to join Trimool Congress and this has become clear after their two day parleys with senior TMC leader Mukul Roy and others at Kolkata. It is learnt that the formal joining will be performed immediately after the declaration of the West Bengal assembly election results on May19 when the leaders are expecting to be in a victorious mood.
After meeting with Mukul Roy the leaders met Subrata Mukharjee who is looking after the party’s Tripura affairs when another senior leader Firhad Hakim was also present. Barman was accompanied by former working president of the TPCC and MLA Ashish Saha and former Youth Congress president Sushanta Chaudhury.
Roy Barman did not divulge detail about the discussions but admitted that they have met TMC leaders and said the things are moving in a positive way. According to sources he also had a telephonic talk with Mamata Banerjee who advised him to filise the formalities with her juniors and she will discuss the matter later.
The Congress has suspended Mr Sudip Roy Barman, Sushanta Choudhury and 13 other leaders for anti-party activities. Immediately after the suspension was announced in a press conference by the TPCC president Birajit Sinha on Saturday last, a group of dissident party workers ransacked the Congress Bhawan and destroyed properties. Two cases also have been filed in regard to this incident.
Barman and his followers were expressing their dissension since the Congress leadership started discussion with CPI(M) to form an alliance in West Bengal. Barman directly accused the party high command for taking an opportunistic stand.
V rayanswami, AICC general secretary in-charge of northeast had served a show cause notice but that failed to deter him. In his response Barman alleged that party’s decision to form alliance with CPI(M) will be detrimental for the interest of the party not only in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura but in other states too.
In a bid to gather support in favour of his stand he toured across the state that drew good response.
