Agartala, June 20 (TIWN): In a massive setback to Trinamool Congress in the state, nineteen Trinamool Congress leaders led by vice president of the state TMC Budhirai Debbarma today joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura.

Budhirai, known to have been aggrieved by internal activities of Trinamool Congress in the state, said during formal joining in the BJP that the Tripura Trinamool Congress was designed to deny higher leaderships and nominations in the election to make way for non-political persons who have absolutely no idea about the state and its people. The party has become a stage for jokers, he jibed.

BJP Tripura state president Sudhindra Dasgupta later said that Congress or Trinamool Congress were entirely rudderless. They don’t have any right or capacity to become a suitable opposition force against CPI (M), he said.

Over 20 thousand supporters of CPI (M), Congress and Trinamool Congress joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since announcement of Lok Sabha election results, Dasgupta said. He alleged that the state’s ruling CPI (M) was threatening prospective BJP candidates to raise obstacles in filing nomination papers for the coming three-tier Panchayat election.

“BJP is committed to destroy this evil nexus and vicious circle of incapability. We will restore democracy and ensure due rights to people of the state”, Dasgupta added.