Amid reports that the Trinamool Congress would soon do to BJP in Tripura what the latter did to it in Bengal before this year’s Assembly elections, speculations ran high over senior BJP leader and MLA Sudip Roy Burman’s visit to Kolkata on Wednesday along with three other party Legislators.
While the BJP leadership remained tightlipped about a possible split in the Tripura saffron ranks Trinamool sources in Bengal confirmed that a meeting had taken place between Roy Burman — a former Trinamool Congress-turned-BJP leader— and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
There chemistry between Roy Burman— a former Health Minister of his State and a close aide of Trinamool national vice president Mukul Roy-—and Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb had deteriorated particularly after he was sacked from his post in 2019.
His visit to Kolkata coincides with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visit to Tripura where she would reportedly assess the pandemic situation and other economic issues of the North-eastern State. There was no statement coming out of the Trinamool camp about the contents of the Friday’s meeting but sources said that a good chunk of BJP legislators in Tripura could gradually shift allegiance and join the TMC ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections in that State.
On whether Roy Burman and other three MLAs were likely to join the TMC sources said they could soon change their party. If he joins the TMC then Mamata Banerjee’s outfit may get a huge shot in the arm in Tripura considering the fact that Burman a former Opposition Leader has a good following that State.
One TMC leader and minister on Friday said that “as the entire BJP in Tripura is made up of TMC we are sure that the party will collapse before the next elections… Roy Burman episode is a prelude to that.”
Reportedly unhappy with Biplab Deb— who had allegedly curtailed his leverage in Tripura politics — Roy Burman had twice went to Delhi to meet Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda but both of them refused to meet him.
According to sources the TMC is in touch with Pradyot K Manikya Deb a descendent of the Tripura royal family who founded 'The Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) and won 19 out of 28 seats in the Tripura Autonomous District Council elections. And if the two parties join hands then the BJP could be in trouble in that state, inside sources said.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad the students’ wing of the TMC was all set to launch statewide rallies in Tripura on its foundation day on Saturday.
Rallies would be held in front of all the colleges in the State and two senior party leaders from Bengal Kunal Ghosh TMC spokesperson and MP Shantanu Sen were likely to attend the Saturday’s programme in that State.
The TMC rally would make 8-point demands including reduction of rising fuel prices etc, sources said adding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recorded speeches would be shown through projectors at various points.