Closed-door meeting of three opposition parties to decide strategy for by-elections

Amidst high-voltage poll campaigns for by-elections in two assembly seats, Boxanagar and Dhanpur to woo the voters by ruling BJP and opposition CPI (M), in another crucial meeting among the top leaders of CPI (M), Congress and Tipra-Motha held on Tuesday at the official chamber of Jitendra Chaudhury.

Sources said that a closed door meeting of Congress, CPI (M) and Tipra-Motha leaders was held in the office room of CPI (M) state secretary and MLA Jitendra Chaudhury on Tuesday afternoon.

Apart from Jitendra Chaudhury, leader of opposition Animesh Debbarma, Pradesh Congress president  Ashish Kumar Saha, president of Tipra-Motha Bijay Hrangkhawl, Jagadish Debbarma, MLA Bishaketu Debbarma, CPI(M0 leader and Left Front convener  Narayan Kar,  former ministers Manik Dey and Ratan Bhowmik were present in the meeting.

Sources said that it has been discussed in the meeting that the mistake of assembly election is not repeated and as per the decision of three opposition parties in a meeting held on August 12 last, both opposition Tipra-Motha and Congress could not field their candidates in both seats.

Sources added that CPI(M) leaders urged the leaders of Congress and Tipra-Motha to participate in the poll campaign in favour of CPI(M) candidates Kaushik Chanda from Dhanpur constituency, who was defeated by BJP candidate Pratima Bhowmik in last assembly elections and  Mizan Hussain, third son former MLA Samsul Haque contesting the by-polls from Boxanagar assembly seat.

However, sources in Congress and Motha said that the leaders of both parties will inform the leaders of CPI (M) over their participation in poll campaign within next two days and there are big chances of those top leaders of Congress and Tipra-Motha will join the opposition campaigns in Boxanagar and Dhanpur seats to ensure the defeat of BJP candidates.

Meanwhile, leaders participating in the Tuesday meeting did not share details over the agenda of the meeting, but hinted that soon people will witness a united face of the opposition campaign.

It may be recalled here that on August 12th last, in a significant development of opposition politics in Tripura, the opposition parties including Tipra-Motha, CPI (M) and Congress have unanimously decided to contest September 5th by-elections in Boxanagar and Dhanpur assembly constituencies unitedly against ruling BJP.

And on August 13th, CPI (M) announced their candidate names for both seats and both Congress and Motha restrained themselves from filling candidates for by-polls.