Leader of Opposition Jitendra Choudhury says the Left Front will intensify its campaign against BJP in Tripura civic polls despite failed Congress alliance talks, alleging internal differences within Congress prevented seat-sharing negotiations from reaching a final agreement.
Despite the failure to reach a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress for the upcoming municipal and urban local body elections in Tripura, the Left Front has reaffirmed its determination to mount a strong electoral challenge against the BJP. Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) politburo member Jitendra Choudhury on Wednesday asserted that the Left Front would continue its campaign with full strength, leaving no stone unturned to defeat the ruling party in the forthcoming civic polls.
Addressing the media, Choudhury said the Left Front had made sincere efforts to establish an electoral understanding with the Congress to prevent the division of anti-BJP votes. However, he alleged that differences and a lack of consensus within the Congress ultimately prevented the proposed alliance from taking shape.
According to the CPI(M) leader, there had been considerable public expectations for opposition unity ahead of the municipal elections. He said voters wanted opposition parties to come together to avoid splitting votes against the BJP, particularly in constituencies where a united electoral challenge could have improved their chances.
Reacting to recent remarks by Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, who had appreciated Choudhury’s approach while alleging that an “invisible force” was influencing decisions within the CPI(M), the Opposition Leader said he was unaware of the reasons behind such observations. He maintained that discussions should concentrate on the political circumstances surrounding the civic elections rather than speculative allegations.
Choudhury recalled that the issue of the upcoming municipal elections had been discussed at an INDIA bloc meeting held inside the Assembly on October 24. Sudip Roy Barman was also present at the meeting, where opposition leaders reportedly agreed to hold detailed discussions on electoral coordination after completing a joint programme scheduled for October 30.
He said the demand for a united opposition campaign was subsequently reinforced during the INDIA bloc’s protest programme outside the Election Commission office on October 30. Leaders representing different opposition parties participated in the demonstration and emphasised the importance of collectively challenging the BJP in the forthcoming urban local body elections.
Congress state president Ashish Saha addressed the gathering, while Choudhury delivered the concluding speech. The CPI(M) leader said the programme reflected the common understanding among opposition parties that coordinated efforts were necessary to prevent the division of anti-BJP votes.
Providing further details about the developments, Choudhury said he and Sudip Roy Barman travelled to New Delhi on October 30, although their visits were connected to separate engagements. He clarified that no joint meeting between the two leaders had been scheduled for November 1.
However, considering the importance of reaching an understanding before the civic elections, efforts were subsequently initiated to facilitate discussions between the Congress and Left leadership. Choudhury said a meeting eventually took place between a representative of the Congress leadership and Ashish Saha, reportedly facilitated through Congress spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty.
The CPI(M) leader explained that he had to return to Agartala before November 2, the final date for filing nominations. During the negotiations, the Congress reportedly demanded 22 seats as part of the proposed electoral arrangement.
Choudhury claimed that the Left Front had shown flexibility during the discussions and was willing to accommodate the Congress beyond the seats specifically sought by the party. He said the Left Front had also agreed not to nominate candidates in several other constituencies where a broader understanding appeared possible.
According to him, the Left Front subsequently fielded candidates in areas where an understanding had been reached and where the Congress had not staked a claim. He suggested that the negotiations had progressed with the objective of maximising opposition unity and avoiding unnecessary electoral contests between potential allies.
However, Choudhury expressed surprise over several statements that appeared in the media after November 2. He said that although he had spoken with Sudip Roy Barman following the developments, the concerns subsequently raised in public had not been directly communicated to him during their conversations.
Highlighting the political significance of the civic elections, Choudhury said the demand for opposition unity was not limited to discussions among political leaders but also reflected the expectations of a section of the electorate. He maintained that voters wanted opposition parties to coordinate their strategies to prevent anti-BJP votes from being divided across multiple candidates.
He further pointed out that the CPI(M) and its Left Front partners, including the Communist Party of India (CPI), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), were contesting the elections together as a united coalition.
Respecting the public sentiment for a coordinated opposition campaign, the Left leadership had approached senior Congress leaders to explore the possibility of an electoral understanding. Choudhury said the proposed arrangement was intended to cover not only the Agartala Municipal Corporation but also other municipal bodies and urban local authorities across Tripura.
He added that discussions continued at different levels and efforts to reach an agreement extended until November 9, indicating that the Left Front had remained interested in securing a broader opposition arrangement even during the final stages of the election preparations.
Despite these efforts, the negotiations failed to produce a final agreement. Choudhury attributed the breakdown primarily to differences within the Congress, alleging that the absence of a common position among its leaders prevented the two sides from finalising seat-sharing arrangements.
The CPI(M) leader argued that an agreement between the Congress and the Left Front could have significantly strengthened the opposition’s electoral prospects. He particularly highlighted the potential impact of opposition coordination in the Agartala Municipal Corporation elections, where a unified challenge could have made the contest more competitive for the BJP.
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Nevertheless, Choudhury made it clear that the failure of the alliance negotiations would not affect the Left Front’s election campaign. He reiterated that the CPI(M) and its partners would continue their efforts across the state with determination and full organisational strength.
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He maintained that the Left Front remained committed to challenging the BJP in every possible way during the upcoming municipal and urban local body elections. The party, he said, would continue to campaign vigorously despite the absence of an electoral understanding with the Congress.
With opposition unity failing to materialise, the forthcoming civic elections are expected to witness separate electoral campaigns by the Congress and the Left Front against the BJP. The extent to which the division of opposition votes influences the electoral contest, particularly in Agartala, is likely to remain a significant political factor.
