Tripura 'disaster' to hit Left movement temporarily: CPI-M

Agartala, April 11: The Left Front’s poor show in the Tripura Assembly polls will hit the Left movement only temporarily and the setbacks will be overcome, CPI-M Central Committee member Bijan Dhar said on Wednesday.

He was speaking to the media here at the end of a two-day state committee meeting of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the domint partner of the Left Front in Tripura.

CPI-M politburo member Prakash Karat was among the attendees.

“The Left Front’s electoral disaster will temporarily affect the Left movement in India. But we will overcome the setback through party programmes and actions,” Dhar said.

“The Assembly polls were the first direct fight between the Left and the BJP. There was lack of understanding and perception about the corporate-backed BJP-RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) commul activities in Tripura,” said Dhar, who is State Secretary of CPI-M.

He admitted that the CPI-M was not fully aware of the micro-magement and digital activities of the BJP-RSS combine before the elections.

“To woo voters, the BJP invested huge money much ahead of elections. We did not give due importance to BJP-RSS’s organisatiol and other activities to woo different communities,” the Left leader added.

The BJP-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura coalition bagged 44 seats, including BJP’s 36 seats in the 60-member Assembly.

“Multifarious conspiracies involving the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), different central Ministers, BJP and IPFT, helped in saffron party’s win. Even though Congress and other political parties were present, a majority of anti-Left votes consolidated in favour of BJP-IPFT alliance.”

He said the CPI-M had planned a series of actions and programmes after the 22nd party Congress from April 18 to 22 in Hyderabad to bounce back. (IANS)