TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee to hold rally in Tripura on Oct 31

Agartala, Oct 26 (PTI) Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will hold a public rally in the Tripura state capital on October 31, party leader Kunal Ghosh said here on Tuesday.

The party will follow the Model Code of Conduct as the date for civic body elections had been announced recently, Ghosh, state secretary of the party’s West Bengal unit, said.

The election to 20 urban local bodies, including Agartala Municipal Corporation, in all the eight districts, is scheduled to be held on November 25.

The TMC is trying to make inroads into Tripura ahead of the 2023 elections in the state and senior party leaders have been visiting the state to expand the party’s base.

Ghosh told reporters the TMC had scheduled a rally for Banerjee in Agartala long ago but the ruling BJP had used the administration to thwart the attempt “as they are afraid of losing power in the next elections due to bad governance”. He alleged that many party workers were attacked in the state in the last two months ever since the party had begun building a base in Tripura.

“Even today a few of our party workers were attacked and the vehicle carrying them was damaged by the BJP sheltered goons at Amarpur in Gomati district.

“There was an induction programme to be followed by a public rally at Nutan Bazar of Amarpur. Prior permission was also taken from the police for the programme. But people proceeding towards the venue were attacked,” the TMC leader said. Surprisingly, the police acted as a mute spectator and obstructed the TMC leaders from going to the venue instead of taking steps against the attackers, Ghosh alleged.

He claimed that such incidents indicate that the BJP is afraid of TMC’s presence in the state.

“We strongly condemn such attacks. Many people are not joining us openly following attacks and threats by the BJP but we are sure that their anguish against BJP’s misrule will be reflected through votes,” Ghosh said.

Meanwhile, the Mahila Trinamool Congress on Tuesday staged a protest in front of the police headquarters here demanding action against the persons involved in attacking TMC workers across the state. PTI JOY MM MM