Senior Congress leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman again on Wednesday sought CPI (M)'s support to ensure defeat of ruling BJP in two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura in the coming 2024 general elections of the country.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Agartala on Wednesday, Roy Barman accompanied by Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha said that to strengthen the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A), comprising 28 anti-BJP parties, the all opposition parties including CPI(M) should extend their support to Congress  candidates in coming Lok Sabha elections in two seats of Tripura  to ensure  the victory candidates of I.N.D.I.A alliance .

Permanent invitee member of Congress Working Committee (CWC) Roy Barman said that any party can make their statements over the poll contest, but ultimately the I.N.D.I.A alliance will fix the fight strategy.

He said that if the Congress central leaders asked them to fight alone in the Lok Sabha elections, then the Tripura Pradesh Congress is ready to fight alone and if the leader directs to fight in alliance, then also Congress is ready. But, at the present situation, the CPI(M) and Left parties should support the Congress candidates in Lok Sabha elections as Congress can defeat BJP candidates in LS polls.

"Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) is preparing itself to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections here. We understood the gravity of the assembly polls in which the CPI(M) fought in more seats than the Congress. Even in the by-election to two seats- Dhanpur and Boxangar- the CPI(M) put up candidates," Roy Barman said.

"To defeat the BJP in the state, I wish the CPI(M) to extend support to the Congress in the parliamentary elections. The Congress can't sacrifice all the time," he said.

Roy Barman, however, made it clear that the TPCC will abide by the decisions to be taken by the party's central leadership.

Asked about possible talks with the Tipra Motha, the main opposition party in Tripura, the Congress MLA said Pradyot Kishore Manikya, the regional party supremo, had met him in his residence recently and discussed some issues. "Our doors are open for talks with parties which want to defeat the BJP," he added.

In the assembly elections earlier this year, the CPI (M)-led Left Front had entered into an electoral alliance with its once arch-rival Congress to defeat the BJP-IPFT combine.

The state has two parliamentary constituencies - West Tripura and East Tripura, a reserved seat for ST, and the BJP won both seats in the 2019 elections.

The Congress contested 13 seats of the 60-member assembly in the last elections held in February, while the Left Front fielded candidates in 47.

The Left Front won only 13 seats and in the by-election, the CPI(M) lost two seats to BJP candidates.

While, Congress als demanded an "in-depth study" by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to end the alleged land row over a mosque in South Tripura's Dimatali.

Recently, the Hindu Surksha Manch, an RSS-backed organisation backed by the ruling BJP, allegedly asked Muslims not to offer 'namaz' at the mosque claiming that the area belongs to an old Jagannath temple.

"We strongly condemn the development as Muslims have been offering namaz at Dimatali mosque since 1993. The party wants the government to ask the ASI to undertake an in-depth study to resolve the dispute," said Ashish Kumar Saha.

He alleged that the BJP and their associates have been trying to destabilise social harmony ever since it came to power in the northeastern state in 2018.

"Another RSS-backed body, the Janajati Suraksha Manch (JSM), has decided to organise a rally on December 25 demanding removal of ST status of those tribals who converted to Christianity. I urge the government not to grant permission to organise such a programme as it may trigger a communal flare up," he said.