Tripura CPI(M) names former minister Jitendra Chaudhury as party secretary after Goutam Das’ demise

Terming the ongoing political and social scenario as “tough”, Chaudhury today said neither BJP nor it’s tribal ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) or the royal scion Pradyot Kishore-led TIPRA Motha – which recently swept the Tripura tribal council polls – are the real alternative for solving public issues like lack of food and work, shortage of income, regressive politics.

Speaking about Trinamool Congress, Chaudhury clarified his stand and said they have come to “fish in murky waters”.

“The real attack is on democracy and our party workers have been the target of most attacks. Our aim is to restore democracy and we shall reach our goal, taking all people with us”, he added.

Chaudhury, who served for four terms as minister in successive Manik Sarkar cabinets from 1993 till 2014, first joined the Left politics through student organisations in 1971. A decade later in 1981, he became active in politics and rose to his party’s state committee seven years later.

First elected in 1993, he served as minister for Rural Development, Forest, Industries and Commerce among other portfolios and was later elected as MP in the Lok Sabha from East Tripura constituency in 2014.

One of the few younger Left tribal leaders who had administrative experience, Chaudhury is also the president of Tripura Rajya Gana Mukti Parishad, CPI(M)’s tribal wing and National convener of the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) and an active advocate of tribal issues.