Abhishek Banerjee warns Tripura CM 'All resources will fall short'; 14 TMC cadres get bail

Shifting battlefields, the TMC and BJP have now locked horns in Tripura as the Mamata  Banerjee-led party aims to expand its reach. On Sunday, fourteen TMC workers including Debangshu Bhattacharya, Tania Poddar, Sudip Raha were arrested for alleged COVID violation and later released on bail, after TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's intervention. Banerjee informed that he will be escorting the cadres back to Kolkata as they had been denied medical attention after sustaining 'severe injuries'. 

Abhishek Banerjee: Will take cadres back to Kolkata

Taking to Twitter, he lashed out at CM Biplab Deb stating that all of BJP's resources will fall short in Tripura. 14 TMC leaders were arrested in Tripura's Khowai district on Sunday for "violating Covid norms", including those injured in an alleged attack by BJP workers the previous day. Banerjee along with other party leaders visited Khowai amid tight security arrangements.

Police said the 14 TMC members were arrested for violating Covid restrictions by travelling after 7 pm when a night curfew comes into effect. TMC Tripura unit spokesperson, Ashish Lal Singh said that party leaders including himself, Debangshu Bhattacharya, Tania Poddar, Sudip Raha and Jaya Dutta were among those arrested. Raha and Dutta had sustained injuries when their vehicle was allegedly attacked by BJP workers at Ambassa in Dhalai district on Saturday. Banerjee had earlier visited Tripura on August 2, when his convoy was also allegedly attacked by BJP workers.

Recently, a 23-member I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) team 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, were later given unconditional bail after top TMC MPs intervention.

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.