Tripura: CPI(M), Congress to hold rally to 'restore democracy' in the state

The CPI(M) and the Congress will organise a rally here on Saturday in a bid to "save the Constitution" and "restore democracy” in Tripura ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, leaders of the two parties said.

Those who join the rally will not carry flags of any political party, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Choudhury and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman said at a joint press conference on January 19.

 “The people, who wish to save the Constitution and restore democracy in Tripura, will join the mega event in front of Rabindra Bhavan and will not carry flags of any political party. They will hold the national flag," Roy Barman said. Choudhury voiced concern over the "growing" pre-poll violence in the state and claimed that "people could not vote since the BJP came to power" in the northeastern state in 2018.

He appealed to the people to join the rally as their democratic rights will be "under threat if democracy is not restored in the state". “We will submit a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to ensure that voters can exercise their democratic right, which was not possible in the previous elections," Roy Barman said.

Asked about the Tipra Motha joining the “democratic and secular forces”, Choudhury said the regional party's supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma has "endorsed the spirit of the CPI(M)-Congress initiative" to defeat the BJP. “We had talks with Tipra Motha chief and told him that the CPI(M) is ready to give maximum autonomy within the constitutional framework for the upliftment of indigenous people, but we are against bifurcation of the state," he said.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) and Congress leaders on Thursday held their first meeting on seat sharing between the two parties, but "no final decision" was taken yet, sources said. Both the parties had announced they would contest the assembly elections jointly to defeat the BJP in the northeastern state. Elections to the 60-member Tripura assembly will be held on February 16.