Agartala:Speculation that around 20 Trinamool Congress MPs may join regional party NCPI has drawn nationwide attention, prompting mixed reactions from former candidates of the party in Tripura.
NCPI was founded in 2022 in Howrah, West Bengal, by advocate Sheuli Kundu and her husband Uttiya Kundu. The party made its Tripura electoral debut in the 2023 Assembly elections, fielding candidates in Kailashahar and Chawmanu constituencies.
Former NCPI candidate from Kailashahar, Jahangir Ali, said he and several others had left the Trinamool Congress following internal differences after TMC leader Sushmita Dev was given charge of Tripura. On the reported induction of 20 TMC MPs, he said the situation would become clear within 24 hours.
However, another former candidate, Barjeda Tripura — a farmer from Chawmanu who contested the 2023 election on an NCPI ticket — painted a contrasting picture. He alleged that no senior party leader had contacted him since the election and that he remained unaware of basic party details, including its president, founder, and office location.
As of now, neither NCPI nor the Trinamool Congress has officially confirmed the reported development.