Trinamool's game plan for Tripura, woo women and youth

In view of the Tripura Assembly polls in 2023, Trinamool Congress leadership has decided to strengthen its youth and women wings in the region. Top leaders from these two wings of Bengal TMC will visit Tripura quite often to woo women and youngsters in big numbers. Trinamool Congress's Lok Sabha member from Barasat and the party's national president of the women's wing, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, has been given a key job in "Mission Tripura".

Kolkata: Before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Mamata Banerjee has set a target to either capture power in the Bengali dominated northeastern state of Tripura or be the principal opposition party in the region. Tripura is going for assembly polls in 2023, less than a year before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Understanding that aspirations of the youth and women voters in Tripura will be crucial for the success of "Mission Tripura," Trinamool Congress leadership has decided to strengthen its youth and women wings. Top leaders from these two wings of Bengal TMC will visit Tripura quite often to woo women and youth in big numbers. Apparently, Trinamool Congress's Lok Sabha member from Barasat and the party's national president of the women's wing, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, has been given a key job in "Mission Tripura".

Similarly, keeping in mind the young voters, the party's youth leaders like Debangshu Bhattacharya and Sudip Raha have also been asked to concentrate on this Bengali dominated northeastern state. While Bhattacharya and Raha have already left for Agartala on Saturday, the party's national general secretary and West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee is likely to reach the Tripura capital on Monday to give a clear message to the Trinamool workers.

"The main task of youth leaders like Bhattacharya and Raha is to reach out to the young and student voters of the state with the message of Mamata Banerjee. Already Bhattacharya is quite popular in Tripura. His parody 'Khela Hobe' (there will be a match) is already popular in Tripura like Bengal. So he has been entrusted with the task of preparing a strong network of the party among the youth and students in Tripura," said a senior Trinamool Congress leader.

On Friday, Ghosh Dastidar offered puja at the famous Tripurashwari temple in Agartala. "I prayed to God to relieve the people of Tripura from BJP's misrule. At the same time, I prayed for the success of our leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee in Tripura" she said.

Trinamool sources said that Ghosh Dastidar has been asked to spare more time for Tripura and strengthen the network of the party's women's wing there. It is learnt that she has already started the groundwork for the same.

Incidentally, Abhishek Banerjee was supposed to reach Tripura on Saturday. However, that schedule got cancelled at the last moment. In all probability, he will go to Agartala on Monday.

Last Thursday, in presence of Derek O'Brien and Malay Ghatak, a number of former MLAs and ministers from Tripura namely Subol Bhowmik, Prakash Chandra Das, Panna Deb, Premotosh Debnath, Bikas Das and Tapan Dutta joined Trinamool Congress. This was the big catch for Trinamool in the recent past.

However, the possibilities of senior BJP leader, Sudip Roy Burman joining Trinamool faded out after a Twitter message from Burman. He said that a decision taken out of anguish or frustration will only strengthen anti-national forces and hence everyone should have faith in the leadership of a nationalist force. His message was a clear signal about not quitting the BJP.

In fact, the house arrest of members of Prashant Kishore's I-PAC team by the Tripura Police has triggered interest in Trinamool Congress in Tripura. The I-PAC members left Tripura immediately after they were granted anticipatory bail on Thursday. However, several Trinamool Congress workers were arrested earlier as they were protesting in demand of the release of I-PAC workers.

In fact, Trinamool Congress faced hurdles from the Tripura administration while they tried to conduct meetings in the region. The Tripura Police has also announced that no meeting will be allowed without prior approval from the administration. Now, interest is developing about what message Abhishek Banerjee might give on Monday after reaching Tripura.