Agartala, March 8, 2024: The Left Front in Tripura is ready to join hands with any political party that respects democracy, secularism, and is committed to fighting the BJP, said CPIM Politburo member and former Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Sarkar on Friday. He was addressing the media ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, where the Left Front is aiming to regain its lost ground in the state.
Sarkar slammed the performance of the BJP-led government in the state, saying that it has failed to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of the people. He alleged that the government is responsible for the increasing incidents of violence against women, mysterious deaths, and unemployment in the state. He also accused the government of bringing RSS workers from outside and giving them jobs by forging fake documents.
He said that the Left Front is part of the INDI Alliance, a coalition of 26 parties that have come together to challenge the BJP at the national level. He said that the alliance leaders are discussing the seat-sharing and candidate selection for the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura. He asserted that the Left Front will put up a strong fight against the BJP and its allies in the state.
He also spoke about the role of the opposition in the state assembly, where the CPI(M) has 10 MLAs. He said that the CPI(M) will soon get the recognition of the opposition party and Jitendra Chowdhury will be the opposition leader. He said that the opposition is facing difficulties in raising its voice in the assembly due to the misuse of the Speaker’s chair by the ruling party.
He also criticized the recent tripartite agreement between the BJP government, the Tipra Motha, and the Centre, which he termed as baseless and divisive. He said that the agreement was a ploy by the BJP to create rifts among the tribal communities and weaken the Left Front. He said that the Tipra Motha leaders have betrayed their own party and the people by joining hands with the BJP. He said that the people will not forgive them for their opportunism and dishonesty.
