Agartala: In what appears to be a poll surprise, former Trinamool Congress Tripura President Subal Bhowmik and disgruntled CPIM MLA Mobossar Ali joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi on Friday evening.
Both leaders are reportedly going to get BJP tickets for the 2023 assembly elections. The two joined the saffron camp in presence of BJP North East coordinator Sambit Patra, CM Dr Manik Saha, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee, Tripura Prabhari Dr Mahesh Sharma et al.
Both newcomers described PM Modi’s vision for the North East and welfare schemes for the poor as the reason behind their joining. However, party insiders believe they have joined the BJP in pursuit of party tickets.
Subal Bhowmik, who was the president of the Tripura unit of BJP, was removed from the post unceremoniously after the party’s poor performance in the urban local body elections. After a short while in political exile, he rejoined BJP after a gap of a few years.
Ex-Congressman Bhowmik shifted his loyalty to BJP in 2016 and worked hard to build the party’s organisation. He was elevated to the BJP vice president but owing to disagreements, especially with former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb who was also the party president then, Bhowmik was sidelined. He left the party when he was denied the Lok Sabha ticket in 2019. He contested the Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket but his stint in Congress was also short.
He joined the Trinamool during urban local body polls and was appointed the president of the state, but he was again removed by the party.
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Mobossar Ali, a first-time CPIM MLA from Kailashahar, failed to get a ticket this time as the Left parties left the seat for the Congress party. Located in Unakoti district, Kailashahar is the home turf of Tripura Pradesh Congress President Birajit Sinha who lost the last elections in the triangular fight between Congress, CPIM and BJP. Disgruntled by the development, Ali joined the BJP for a ticket from his home constituency.
Speaking at the joining programme, all the leaders credited Prime Minister Modi for Tripura’s overall growth.
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