8 parties including INDIA constituents to mount joint campaign in Tripura against BJP

Speaking to reporters at the Agartala Press Club, leaders including the Congress’s Sudip Roy Barman and CPM secretary Jitendra Chaudhary said that despite having several differences, they had come together to save the Constitution and the democratic, secular and federal nature of the country.

Barman alleged the people of the country had been deceived over the past 10 years under NDA rule and that none of the promises made a decade ago had been fulfilled.

‘Government of dacoits and cheats’

“The latest expose on electoral bonds have revealed that this government is one of dacoits and plunderers. The ruling party’s funds are rising at the cost of poor people, farmers and unemployed youths. Two crore jobs were promised per year for the past 10 years. Black money was promised to be recovered. None of these were done. Instead LPG prices have gone up from Rs 415 (under UPA rule) to Rs 1,200 and prices of petroleum products have rocketed,” the Congress leader said.

“They are governments of cheats. They are forming and breaking governments by misusing funds and central agencies like CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department. Anarchy is going on across the country. Those who believe in the people and democracy and the Constitution have come together to fight the election unitedly. We don’t have money, muscle, administration or police like them (BJP), but we will go to people to convince them,” he added.

Congress’s promises

Quoting from the Congress manifesto committee, Barman said that if the INDIA bloc won the parliamentary polls, its government would conduct the pending census to provide targeted benefits for ST, SC and OBC communities. Reservation benefits would be extended to people by removing the 50 per cent cap, Forest Rights Act claims would be settled within a year, 30 lakh central vacancies would be filled up, apprenticeship training would be provided to youths after graduation, a law would be enacted for providing a legal guarantee for minimum support prices, a farm loan waiver commission would be set up, and national minimum wages would be fixed at Rs 400 including for MGNREGS.

Barman also alleged that the country was being polarised over religion, ethnicity, provincialism, language and zones and appealed to the people to vote for the INDIA candidates in the West Tripura and East Tripura constituencies and in the Assembly bypoll in Ramnagar.

“Out of 40 lakh people of the state, we represent the majority of the people of the state. We fight for the demands and rights of workers and farmers. Our flags and programmes may be different. During the freedom struggle, people came together to fight and chase the British and get freedom. Our fight is to save that freedom today,” the CPM’s Chaudhary said.

Chaudhary said the CPM’s poll promises were “largely similar” to those of the Congress and that the eight parties would meet on Friday to chalk out details of campaigns and programmes for the parliamentary elections as well as the Assembly bypoll, to be held on April 19 and 26.