AGARTALA, March 27 � The National Socialist Party of Tripura (NSPT) suffered a serious setback after its general secretary Sridam Debbarma along with several other party leaders joined the Congress ahead of Tribal Council elections. The newcomers include NSPT president Jitendra Debbarma, vice president Lakhicharan Debbarma and asst secretary Rabi Kumar Debbarma.
PCC president Surajit Dutta welcomed the newcomers and urged them to work hard for strengthening the party at Congress Bhavan on Friday. The move assumes significance keeping in mind the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT)�s hectic parleys with Congress on seat sharing. Though, the five-member core committee involving Congress and INPT has initiated discussion on seat sharing, it could not strike a deal as yet.
There are growing demands within Congress not to give many seats to the INPT because of it�s beleaguered organisation in tribal belts and at best out of total 28 seats, eight seats could be given to INPT, Cong sources said. A section of Congress leaders have been trying hard to make the party to contest the ADC election alone. They say, the INPT is no longer a political force in tribal politics.
Keeping in mind the Congress-INPT�s bid to strike a seat sharing deal, the joining of the NSPT leaders in Congress fold has added a new edge to the party.
�Congress-INPT discussion on seat sharing is in full swing. We are hopeful of striking a deal with INPT very soon�, said PCC spokesman Ratan Chakraborty here on Friday. Sources claimed, Congress has been trying to consolidate the anti-Left vote bank in the hilly areas to give a befitting fight to the CPM-led Left Front in the ADC.
