KOLKATA: At a time when Trinamool Congress is trying to expand its footprint in Tripura eyeing the 2023 state Assembly polls there, about 235 workers from BJP, CPI(M) and Congress joined Bengal's ruling party at a function on Thursday. Earlier, party chairperson Mamata Banerjee had exuded confidence in Trinamool forming the next government in Tripura.
Meanwhile, amid allegations of the BJP-led Tripura government resorting to coercive measures to harass Trinamool leaders and workers there, Bengal INTTUC president and Trinamool leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that hotel owners in the northeastern state had refused to allot him a room following pressure exerted by local BJP leaders.
He had to vacate the room of the hotel on Thursday morning, where he had checked in on Wednesday night following requests from the authorities. The leader had gone to Tripura to attend the party's organisational meetings. He was allegedly not given accommodation in three hotels. Finally, he managed to stay in a room. Banerjee said the hotel authorities requested him to vacate the room at the earliest on Thursday morning. "They did not misbehave with him but expressed their inability to allow him to stay there," sources said. Banerjee went to the house of local TMC leader Subol Bhowmick.
Banerjee alleged that throughout Wednesday night BJP supporters had created chaos outside the hotel.
They allegedly burst crackers and used abusive language to scare him away. "Tripura is being ruled by the people with a Taliban mentality. But such pressure tactics do not succeed. In the 2023 Assembly election, people of Tripura will topple the BJP government," Ritabrata maintained.
Mamata Banerjee had said the rule of the jungle had been established in Tripura. She had reiterated that Trinamool Congress would come to power in Tripura in 2023. She maintained that former Tripura Assembly Speaker Jiten Sarkar along with many others had got in touch with her and expressed their willingness to join TMC. The matter was under consideration, she said.
BJP had made futile efforts to prevent TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee from reaching Tripureswari temple during his maiden visit to the state early this month.