Will form govt in Tripura in 2023: Abhishek

Kolkata: Throwing an open challenge to the BJP and Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on Monday that his party has set Tripura as the "bird's eye" and would form a government in the state after the 2023 Assembly election.

"TMC will form a government in Tripura in the next 1.5 years and bring governance to its doorstep. We are announcing that we shall make Tripura our bird's eye and shall struggle against BJP misrule and form the government here," he said at a press conference in the afternoon.

Abhishek, who came to Tripura for the first time after becoming the all-India general secretary of TMC, said he would come to the state again after 15 days. TMC will set up committees in 3,324 booths here by December and within 15 days the state committee will be announced. "Those who think that I will leave the state after holding a press conference are actually living in a fool's paradise, I will come frequently to the state and Trinamool has taken up the challenge to dislodge the autocratic government and set up its own government in 2023 Assembly election to restore Tripura's past glory," he said.

In his one-day, tour he was accompanied by state ministers for PWD and Education, namely, Malay Ghatak and Bratya Basu.

Abhishek, who is also TMC's MP from Diamond Harbour, tweeted: "Today, I visited the Tripureshwari temple. I pray to Maa Tripureshwari for the well-being of everyone in our country. Despite using all his might, @BjpBiplab SHALL NOT be able to stop me from reaching out to the people of #Tripura who deserve to see the light of Democracy!"

The TMC all-India general secretary added that the BJP talked about "Athitidebo bhaba (Guests are like Gods, and I have seen with my own eyes how guests are being treated. Trinamool has no base in Tripura, and if that is true why they are mortally scared," he questioned.

Addressing the press meet, he narrated how the BJP had tried to stop his convoy from reaching various destinations. "The glass of my vehicle was smashed and three security personnel have been injured. They put up blocks every 100 metres to prevent me from reaching Tripureshwari temple. But I reached the temple and offered my prayers. If you try to scare the TMC, it becomes more powerful and dangerous," he maintained.

Posting a video of the purported attack on his official Twitter handle, he tweeted: "Democracy in Tripura under BJP rule! Well done Biplab Kumar Deb for taking the state to new heights." In the video, people are seen holding BJP flags and landing blows on his car using sticks.

Asking Deb to resign for orchestrating an attack on the Lok Sabha MP, he said: "Biplab Deb should resign. If an MP is attacked, it shows that there is no law and order in the state and reflects on the miserable condition of common people and women. The leaders from Delhi who shout about restoration of democracy in Bengal should come to Tripura before making such accusations."

Abhishek said in the 2023 elections, the reign of terror unleashed by the "bikers' gang" would come to an end. "In Bengal, Duare Sarkar has been introduced by Mamata Banerjee whereas in Tripura there is 'duare goonda' scheme of the BJP," he said. He urged all like-minded people including the supporters of CPI(M) and Congress to come under one umbrella of TMC to put an end to the misrule of the BJP government.

The TMC all-India general secretary said the condition of people has turned from bad to worse in Tripura since this government had taken over in 2018. "Because of the inefficiency of the state government, 10,500 teachers lost their jobs and 102 of them have died. The state government had assured jobs to the youths and the time has come when it should publish a white paper on how many jobs it had created since 2018," he remarked.

He stated the people of Tripura had seen "how inefficiently the double engine government is being run. Deb cannot work on his own as he has to dance to the tunes of the leaders from Gujarat and Delhi who hold the remote control button. The aspirations of people are never honoured," he said adding: "In a democracy, the people say the last word. But these very people who bring the political party to power have been thrown out by the BJP."

Trinamool leaders Raj Chakraborty, the party's Youth Congress president Saayoni Ghosh and Sayantika Banerjee condemned the attack on Abhishek. In Rajya Sabha, Trinamool MPs condemned the attack on the parliamentarian.