Mamata's TMC to start campaign against Left government in Tripura

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee will launch a campaign against the Left Front government in Tripura early next month, party leaders said here on Sunday.

"Didi (Mamata Banerjee) would visit Tripura early next month to launch a massive movement against the Left Front government in Tripura," chairman of the TMC's Tripura unit Ratan Chakraborty told reporters.

Accompanied by five of the six Congress MLAs, who joined TMC on June 7, Chakraborty said: "We would form party unit in over 3,000 assembly booth areas and organise a state wide agitation in support of 11-point demands."

The TMC leadership comprising old and new leaders on Sunday held assembly segment wise delegate conference and finalised the future party programme and demands to be highlighted during the campaign.

Former Congress legislative party leader Roy Barman said that in presence of Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister, the TMC's agitational programme would be launched and it would continue until the Left Front government voted out in 2018 assembly elections.

Barman, along with five other legislators and other leaders, resigned from the Congress to protest against the party's electoral alliance with Left parties in West Bengal. They then joined the TMC.

The TMC demands that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe the activities of illegal chit funds in Tripura and the money that people invested in such schemes be returned.

The demands also include special audit in state government organisations and departments by the central government agencies, waiver of farm loans up to Rs two lakh, and measures to prevent crimes against women and compensation to the victims.

Besides the six Congress MLAs, another Congress legislator, Jitendra Sarkar, also recently resigned from the Tripura assembly and said he would rejoin the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) which heads the ruling Left Front.

With these resignations, the Congress's strength in the 60-member Tripura assembly has been reduced to the lowest ever -- from 10 to three. The Left Front has 50 lawmakers.

--IANS

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