A day after Tripura MLA Ashish Das joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Kolkata, his former colleague and BJP MP from the state Rebati Tripura said that his departure won’t make a difference to the saffron party. “Only he knows why he left the party and joined the TMC,” he told news agency ANI.
Rebati added that the public elected Das and gave him work to do. “Has the public committed any crime?” he was quoted as saying.
He said that of a total of 44 MLAs in Tripura, 36 belong to BJP, and they still support the party in the state. “I saw it (Das’s exit from BJP) on social media. We still have the majority and the public still stands with the government. So, there is no danger to the government,” he added.
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Das on Tuesday shaved his head, and took a dip in the Ganga in Kolkata. He also offered prayers at a temple, saying he was performing an “act of penance” before joining the TMC. “Today, I took a dip in the Ganga and offered prayers at the Kalighat temple because joining the BJP was a crime,” he told Hindustan Times.
Rebati further stated that the TMC has long been making attempts to poach BJP MLAs in Tripura. “This is not the first time,” he said, adding that when the Mamata Banerjee-led party first came to power in West Bengal in 2011, it has tried to approach the saffron party leaders in the north-eastern state.
{{/usCountry}}Rebati further stated that the TMC has long been making attempts to poach BJP MLAs in Tripura. “This is not the first time,” he said, adding that when the Mamata Banerjee-led party first came to power in West Bengal in 2011, it has tried to approach the saffron party leaders in the north-eastern state.
{{/usCountry}}“They had said that they would come to Tripura every other month, but they have not visited for the past 10 years. They tried their hand in the North-East states, but the people of North-East states rejected them,” he told ANI.
Notably, the TMC is eyeing the Tripura Assembly polls 2023.