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Updated July 30th, 2021 at 08:00 IST

2023 polls: 7 Congress leaders join TMC in Tripura amid Mamata-Sonia bonhomie in Delhi

Reaping benefits in Tripura, seven Congress leaders joined Trinamool Congress on Thursday in the presence of top leaders Derek O'Brien, Basu Bratya in Agartala

Tripura, Congress, TMC
IMAGE: @AITC | Image:self
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Reaping benefits in Tripura, seven Congress leaders joined Trinamool Congress on Thursday in the presence of top leaders Derek O'Brien, Basu Bratya, and Kakoli Dastidar in Agartala. The leaders - Subal Bhowmik, Prakash Das, Md. Idrish Mia, Tapan Dutta, Panna Deb, Premtosh Debnath and Bikas Das joined Congress in Agartala amid the tussle between TMC and the ruling BJP govt over the detainment of 23 I-PAC members. Incidentally, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is currently in Delhi meeting top Opposition leaders.

7 Congress leaders join TMC

Earlier in the day, 88 TMC workers were arrested for protesting against the detainment of I-PAC team in Agartala, stating COVID violations. Top TMC MPs Derek O' Brien and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar were rushed to Agartala by party general secretary Abhishek to gauge the situation. All 23 I-PAC members - TMC's poll strategy team were given unconditional bail. BJP has refuted any political motives to the detention of I-PAC's team, maintaining that COVID was the reason behind the detention.

IPAC members detained

On Wednesday morning, a 23-member I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) was detained at Agartala airport by Tripura police citing COVID violations. I-PAC, which is Mamata Banerjee's poll strategist, had arrived in Agartala for a political assessment ahead of state polls in 2023. The team, which was holed up in an Agartala hotel, was summoned by the police on August 1 and 3 after a case was filed against them under the National Disaster Management Act (NDMA).

While TMC MP Derek O'Brien maintained that BJP had detained I-PAC members fearing TMC's growing influence in the state, BJP has refuted it. Countering O'Brien, Tripura Deputy Speaker BB Sen said, "Every day we were being murdered, raped and goondaism was rampant. That time no one visited us. Now there is development and now only to garner 6% votes and a make national-level party, Mamata Didi is doing this. I-PAC members have been detained because they violated some law under Tripura govt, what else?".

TMC eyes Tripura re-entry with Mukul Roy's return

Since the return of veteran Mukul Roy's return to TMC, the Mamata Banerjee-led party has been eyeing to make inroads into Tripura yet again. Roy, who had been instrumental in bringing six Congress MLAs to TMC and later to BJP in Tripura in 2016, has allegedly reached out to the rebel MLAs in BJP in June. Reports state many MLAs have been disgruntled with CM Biplab Deb and seek his replacement. Immediately, BJP's top leadership including general secretary BL Santosh and organising secretary for Northeast Ajay Jamwal rushed to Agartala to meet the MLAs. 32 of 36 BJP MLAs attended the meeting, while others were allegedly poised to quit. BJP wrested Tripura from 25 years of CPM rule in 2018, ushering Biplab Deb's maiden term.

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Published July 30th, 2021 at 08:00 IST

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