Agartala, Tripura, January 29 (HBTV): The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM), Tripura’s principal opposition party, launched its 24th state conference with a public rally in Agartala, calling for an end to the Bharatiya Janata Party- Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura-Tipra Motha coalition government.
Senior CPIM leaders, including Politburo coordinator Prakash Karat, Politburo member and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Choudhuri, urged party workers to strengthen their organizational base to oust the BJP in the next assembly elections.
Addressing the rally, Choudhuri asserted that the ruling coalition’s downfall was imminent. He claimed CPIM workers face intimidation, with transport services withdrawn to hinder their participation in the rally.
“Thousands of our supporters had to march from Agartala railway station as BJP-backed BMS workers stalled transport services. In Khumulwng, our workers were assaulted. These desperate attempts show the ruling party’s fear of defeat,” he said. Despite the CPIM’s lack of representation in recent local elections, he argued, the BJP still attempted to disrupt the event, signaling their insecurity.
Former chief minister Manik Sarkar criticized the BJP as a “promise-breaker,” recalling the 2018 “Chalo Paltai” slogan.
“They claimed that Tripura would witness unprecedented development under BJP rule. Instead, unemployment has surged, inflation is at an all-time high, and purchasing power has plummeted. The BJP, RSS, and VHP are inciting communal tension, disrupting decades of Hindu-Muslim harmony,” Sarkar alleged. He blamed the BJP for the alleged collapse of the rural economy, adding that while the party claimed a 39% vote share in 2023, its actual support base was much lower, around 20-22%.
Likewise, Prakash Karat stated that the CPIM would formulate an alternative strategy to remove the BJP from power. He accused the ruling party of ignoring real issues and instead focusing on religious polarization.
The rally marked the beginning of CPIM’s renewed efforts to regain political ground in Tripura, with leaders calling on workers to mobilize against what they described as an “anti-democratic” regime.