Dimapur, Jan. 30: The Trinamul Congress, which has entered into an alliance with the BJP in Tripura, was formally launched in Nagaland yesterday.
Sources said though party chief Mamata Banerjee could not be present, she was very keen on the party making its presence felt in Nagaland in the run-up to the February 26 elections.
Trinamul Congress vice-president Paras Dutta, who is also the MLA of the Behala East constituency of Calcutta, while launching the party, appealed to all non-Congress parties in Nagaland to unite to oust the S.C. Jamir-led Congress government. ?All parties opposed to the Congress must come together in Nagaland. This is the best way to defeat the party,? he said.
Dutta said the Trinamul Congress would contest not more than 10 seats. Asked what parties the Trinamul Congress was hoping to form alliances with in Nagaland, Dutta said: ?We don?t believe in ?political untouchability? and are open to alliances. The Congress is the worst party and should be kept out of Naga society.?
Youth leader Khrielezo Bio has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Trinamul Congress in Nagaland.
He will contest from the 14th Southern Angami constituency.
Dutta said Mamata Banerjee has been informed about the ?overwhelming response? received on the occasion of the Trinamul?s launch in Nagaland.
Trinamul bigwigs like Nitish Sengupta, the MP from Contai and former Planning Commission member, MP Vikram Sarkar from Paskura and Pankaj Banerjee, leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, are expected to arrive in the state to kick-off the party campaign. Dutta said in Tripura the party had finalised an alliance with the BJP and would contest 30 seats there, while negotiations were on in Meghalaya.