AGARTALA, March 19 - The ruling BJP suffered a jolt when its State vice president, Subal Bhowmik, along with two middle-ranked leaders, joined the Congress today ahead of party president Rahul Gandhi�s rally here.
AICC secretary Bhupen Bora and Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Pradyot Kishore Debbarman welcomed Bhowmik and the two other BJP leader � Prakash Das and Debasish Sen � to the party fold at the Congress headquarters.
The Tripura Congress chief claimed people from all sections of society have started joining the Congress as they are now regaining their faith in the party. Debbarman said soon after Rahul Gandhi�s rally, the Congress would declare their candidates for the two Parliamentary constituencies. More surprises may spring up before the elections, he added.
Bhowmik admitted that nomination to contest the Parliamentary election was an issue (with regard to his decision). �I expected to get the BJP ticket, but the party picked up an unsuitable candidate,� he said referring to the saffron party�s choice of Pratima Biswas to contest the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat.
Bhowmik said that over the last one year, there has been no fundamental change in the system under the BJP rule. Lashing out at Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Bhowmik alleged that there is no democracy within the BJP.
