AGARTALA: A dispute over past political sacrifice and present electoral strategy has deepened the rift between Congress and CPI(M) in Tripura, as both parties traded sharp accusations over who bears greater responsibility for maintaining a united opposition front ahead of the Dharmanagar assembly by-election.
Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman reacted sharply to CPI(M)’s decision to announce a candidate for the Dharmanagar by-election without prior consultation with its alliance partner.
He pointed to what he described as Congress’s political sacrifice in earlier contests, saying, “In the Boxanagar and Dhanpur assembly by-elections, Congress did not field candidates in the larger interest of defeating the BJP. We consciously stepped aside so that opposition votes would not be divided.”
Also read | Tripura: Losing Faith in TIPRA Motha, 5 Senior Leaders Join BJP Ahead of ADC Polls
However, he alleged that CPI(M) had reportedly fielded its own candidates during those very by-elections, offering no such reciprocal gesture.
Barman said the latest move by CPI(M) was entirely unwelcome. “Ahead of the Dharmanagar by-election, CPI(M) has announced its candidate without any discussion with Congress whatsoever, which is completely unacceptable,” he said.
He stressed that coordinated opposition is essential to taking on the BJP, warning, “If the opposition vote is divided, it is the BJP that will benefit. If CPI(M) is genuinely sincere about defeating the BJP, it must withdraw its candidate from Dharmanagar.”
However, Leader of Opposition and CPI(M) State Secretary, Jitendra Chaudhury, responded with equal sharpness and issued a pointed counter-challenge on organisational grounds.
Also read | Two Reang Women Rise Through Project TRIPTI in Tripura
“Let Congress first save its security deposit in at least one of the 28 Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council seats. Only then does the question of seat-sharing with CPI(M) arise,” he said.
He maintained that Dharmanagar has no meaningful Congress presence in terms of workers, local organisation, or vote bank.
“In the last assembly election, Congress reportedly could not even post polling agents booth by booth in that constituency. It was CPI(M) that provided polling agents at those booths,” Chaudhury stated.
While acknowledging Congress’s stature at the national level, Chaudhury said, “Congress is a major national party and its strength matters for restoring democracy in the country. But it is simply not realistic to expect Congress to contest every seat in Tripura given the ground reality.”