Congress MLAs, leaders to join Trinamool in Tripura

Agartala, March 29 (IANS) Several legislators and top leaders of the Congress will join the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after the Lok Sabha poll, a top TMC leader said here Saturday.

"Several MLAs along with top leaders from the Congress would join the Trinamool Congress after the Lok Sabha election," TMC Tripura state committee chairman Ratan Chakraborty told reporters but refused to divulge the details.

He went on to claim: "After the declaration of election March 5, several hundred leaders, members and workers from the Congress and the ruling CPI-M will be joining the TMC. After West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee's (West Bengal Chief Minister) target is to oust Left parties from the helm of affairs in Tripura."

Banerjee will address an election rally in southern Tripura April 1.

Chakraborty, who is also contesting from the West Tripura constituency, said deposits of Congress candidates would be forfeited in the Lok Sabha poll and the main contest would be between the nominees of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the TMC.

Terming TMC supremo Banerjee as the real Communist and the real Congress leader, he said the CPI-M is fighting the poll this time for survival in India.

"Pressure of party subscriptions, corruption, misgovernance and other atrocities have crippled the lives of people in Left-ruled Tripura. People want an alternative to lead a normal life and only TMC can provide that," he said.

Polling for the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura will be held April 7 and 12.