Tripura LoP Jitendra Chaudhury alleged that poor people face discrimination and risk losing government benefits for supporting opposition parties. Addressing a CPI(M) workers’ meeting in Karbook ahead of Village Committee elections, he accused the ruling BJP and Tipra Motha of fostering fear, intimidation, and political violence.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chaudhury on Monday alleged that supporting opposition political parties has become a costly choice for poor people in Tripura, claiming that many beneficiaries fear losing government assistance if they are seen backing parties other than those in power.
Chaudhury made the remarks while chairing a meeting of CPI(M) workers at Shuknachari under the Karbook Assembly constituency. The meeting was organized as part of the party’s preparations for the upcoming Village Committee elections in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Addressing party workers, the veteran Left leader acknowledged that the CPI(M) and the Left Front had lost a significant portion of their support base over the years. However, he argued that the decline was not solely due to political reasons but also because many people felt compelled to distance themselves from the opposition to safeguard their access to government welfare schemes and benefits.
“The fact that we have lost our strength over the years cannot be ignored. People who repeatedly voted for us in the past moved away from the Left Front for various reasons. Some of them voluntarily distanced themselves from the CPI(M) to protect the benefits they receive from the government,” Chaudhury said.
He further claimed that the concerns of such people were genuine, alleging that opposition supporters often face discrimination. According to him, poor families fear losing benefits such as Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards, employment opportunities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and other government assistance programs if they openly support opposition parties.
The Leader of Opposition also alleged that a climate of fear has contributed to the erosion of Left support in the state. He claimed that many voters refrain from supporting the Left Front due to concerns over threats, intimidation, and political violence.
Targeting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Tipra Motha Party, Chaudhury alleged that such political practices have created an atmosphere where people are hesitant to express their political preferences freely. He claimed that fear of reprisals has discouraged many from openly participating in opposition activities.
In his speech, Chaudhury also launched a sharp attack on Tipra Motha, describing the regional party as a continuation of previous political and tribal organizations that, according to him, emerged with the objective of preventing the Left Front from returning to power.
Referring to organizations such as the Tripura National Volunteers (TNV), Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti (TUJS), National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), he alleged that these groups, at different points in time, played a role in keeping the Left out of power.
“Look at the chronology of these organisations—from TNV and TUJS to NLFT, ATTF and now Tipra Motha. They were created with the objective of keeping the Left Front away from power. Earlier, such organisations enjoyed the sponsorship of the Congress, and now they are being helped by the ruling party at the national level,” he claimed.
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The meeting forms part of the CPI(M)’s grassroots mobilization efforts ahead of the Village Committee elections, which are expected to witness intense political competition across the tribal areas of the state. The ruling parties have not yet responded to Chaudhury’s allegations.
