Tripura witnessed a day of intense political drama on Wednesday as a high-level All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) delegation, led by party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, arrived in Agartala around 11.30 am.
The visit came a day after the party’s state headquarters in the capital was allegedly attacked by BJP supporters during a protest rally.
The incident has once again brought the focus back on AITC’s efforts to establish its presence in the northeastern state, where its previous attempts, including the 2021 civic body polls, failed to make much impact. The party had managed to win only one seat in Ambassa then, but its lone councillor later defected to the BJP.
Following Tuesday’s violence, the AITC central leadership deputed a team comprising Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, youth leader Sudip Raha, MP Sayoni Ghosh, and Pratima Mondal, along with Kunal Ghosh, to assess the situation and meet the state police chief.
Heavy security arrangements were put in place at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport on the city’s outskirts and at the party’s state headquarters near the old motor stand. Tension prevailed at the airport soon after the delegation’s arrival as the leaders alleged that local transport services were denied to them.
For some time, the delegation staged a sit-in near the departure block, accusing authorities of deliberately creating obstacles. “The transport agency that had agreed to provide cars was threatened and forced to cancel the booking. Even the pre-paid taxi counter refused us service. We are not seeking favours, we are ready to pay,” Ghosh told reporters at the airport.
Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev said the situation reflected the kind of hostility the party often faces in the state.
“The police arranged vehicles only after we decided to walk towards the party office. What could have been done at 11.30 am was finally done at 2.30 pm. This is not new for us. In 2021, Abhishek Banerjee’s convoy was attacked in Tripura,” she said.
Later, addressing a press conference at the party office, Ghosh condemned the violence against BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh in West Bengal but criticised the ruling party’s attempt to politicise the issue. “They went for publicity under the pretext of relief work, which angered locals. What happened was a spontaneous outburst of public resentment,” he said.
Ghosh accused BJP leaders of making statements against the interests of the poor. “They have publicly said that they urged the Centre to cut allocations under PM Awas Yojana and MGNREGA. Such remarks alienate people who depend on these schemes,” he added.
AITC MP Sayoni Ghosh said despite attempts to create a hostile atmosphere, people in Tripura had received the delegation positively. “From the airport to the city, we saw people waving at us. If AITC was insignificant, our office would not have been attacked. This only shows that our presence matters and we will continue to fight back,” she said.
The delegation later met the Director General of Police and submitted a memorandum seeking action against those responsible for the attack. “We demanded immediate arrests of those seen in the video footage of attacks on our party office, updates on pending cases of violence against our workers, and assurance of safety for our leaders and supporters,” Kunal Ghosh said after the meeting.
The AITC leadership maintained that the attack on its office reflected the ruling party’s nervousness over its growing presence in Tripura ahead of the coming political season.
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