Tripura Congress seeks CPI(M)'s support for polls to 2 Lok Sabha seats

Tripura Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman sought CPI (M)'s support to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to two parliamentary constituencies in the northeastern state. 

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 northeastern 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. 

"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 told reporters at Congress Bhavan. 

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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. "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.