BJP-Trinamul talks in Tripura in trouble

AGARTALA, August 22: The possibility of an alliance between the newly-formed Trinamul Congress in Tripura with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has run into rough weather with the latter declining to accept the former as poll partner. "We cannot accept Sudhir Ranjan Mazumder as candidate for the Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency. Our grassoots workers have already lodged strong complaints against the candidature of Mazumder," general secretary of BJP's state unit, Rakhal Majumder, told reporters here today. He alleged that a conspiracy was hatched against BJP in 1991 as a result of which Shyamahari Sharma, then candidate of Agartala Assembly seat, was hacked to death while addressing a public meeting in the heart of the town. The BJP leader alleged that Mazumder who was the then chief minister and home minister did not take any initiative to probe the killing. The central committee of BJP has already announced state senior leader Brajesh Chakraborty as its candidate for the Tripura West seat. The Trinamul Congress in Tripura would constitute a "full-fledged" Pradesh committee very soon to give thrust to its "fight against Communist Party of India (Marxist) misrule", the Trinamul Congress state president Mazumder said. The Trinamul Congress would emerge as the real Opposition party in Tripura soon as the Congress was having "clandestine alliance" with CPI(M), the former chief minister said. To a question, the former State Congress president said the apex bodies of the Trinamul Congress and the BJP would take final decision at the national level.