Amitabha Sengupta
AGARTALA, April 26 (TIWN) : It is MLA Sudip Roy Barman, who first shown the way by resigning from the post of Leader of Opposition protesting against ' unethical and immoral ' alliance or seat adjustment between Congress and CPI-M in West Bengal assembly polls. Following his footprints MLA Ashish Kr Saha , Youth Congress President Sushanta Chowdhury , all Block Youth Congress Presidents , Parliamentary Constituency Presidents and even NSUI state leadership as well as SC cell leadership too resigned from their posts. But none has yet resigned from the party membership . Rumour is now on the air that Sudip Roy Barman may join Trinamool Congress along with six or seven other MLAs . It is also under discussion of political analysts that MLAs namely Ashish Kr Saha, Ratan Lal Nath, Biswabandhu Sen , Dibachandra Hrangkhal , Jitendra Sarkar , Pranajit Singh Roy and even Dilip Sarkar are on the frame to join TMC in protest against the Congress-CPI-M alliance .
Till date none of these MLAs are seen to have uttered any word against the Congress party in public ; even in his reply to the show cause letter to V Narayanswami , former Leader of Opposition Sudip Roy Barman attributed AICC President Sonia Gandhi 'like as mother '.
Even few days before MLA Ashish Saha told TIWN over phone that they are resigning from their posts as they feel that under the present scenario it will be difficult for them to fight against CPI-M , the main political enemy in Tripura.
He also hinted that if Congress party changes its policy they too will rethink their strategy and may fight from Congress platform .
What he mentioned was ," Our prime object is to strengthen anti-CPI-M platform and we are committed to it . "
What is interesting in the ongoing political turmoil in the state none of the District Congress Committee Presidents have yet resigned from their posts .Even , a highly placed source in the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee , informed TIWN that even Sudip & Co instructed the District Congress Committee Presidents ( those loyal to Barman family ) not to resign from their posts. This is quite significant considering the political upheaval in Tripura . The reasons for not asking District Committee Presidents and other members may be :-
1) Sudip & Co knows that in TPCC President Birjit Sinha will immediately appoint District Congress Committee Presidents , who would be bound to be from anti-Barman group .
2) Sudip Roy Barman knows it categorically that in that case he will lose his hold even in district level
3) It will be an utter blunder for Sudip & Co to take control over the party workers avoiding the District Committees
At the same time it is yet to be confirmed that all these MLAs would follow the same path even after the split in Congress .
It is learnt from a top level BJP leader that BJP's Central leadership has accepted the suggestion of state BJP especially state BJP President Biplab Deb not to merge the rebel Congress group with BJP any precondition . The leader ( unwilling to reveal his name ) also said that even a few months before the rebel group led by Sudip Roy Barman met with BJP President Amit Shah in Delhi but Shah refused to accept any precondition proposed by the group .
It is learnt that Sudip Roy Barman wanted to be in charge of Leader of Opposition and practically to play the nucleus of the state unit . But BJP central leadership refused to accept these demands . Now BJP state unit is in contact with many of the Congress leaders , who too are against Congress-CPI-M alliance , to merge them to BJP .
Even within the MLAs there are differences of opinion as they are not sure what would their position be after joining TMC as TMC current leadership like Ratan Chakraborty and Surajit Datta won't provide any bed of roses before these MLAs and their team .
Many still remember the harassment Surajit Datta suffered from Sudip Roy Barman and his father Samir Ranjan Barman ( during Rahul Gandhi's visit to Tripura ) . Again Ratan Chakraborty too was physically assaulted by a group of Congress leaders led by Baptu Chakraborty ( who is also in the Barman family ) just before the Assembly Election in 2013 . They won't lose any chance of revenge if situation arises. Even after the expected split in Congress , there are obvious reasons that such split may also occur in TMC too after their merger .
Thus it is clear that more than the interests of common workers of Congress , interests of Sudip Roy Barman are playing most significant role in the present situation . Again , it is also learnt that some of the MLAs too are now under pressure to remain in group simply to protect their MLAship. After the merger with TMC at least four to five MLAs may join BJP and in that situation there will be no fear of " Anti-Defection Law "
Thus , recent political scenario will bring good days for anti -Left workers ( those within the Congress) , is still a dream . Anti-lobby of Sudip Roy Barman are also campaigning that his father Samir Ranjan Barman led the downfall of Congress-TUJS led gov't in 1993 because of misrule, corruption , mafiagiri , exploitation and tortures against women along with clear failure of administrative machinery.