Kolkata, Jan 21,2023: The Trinamool Congress on Saturday said it will contest alone in the upcoming assembly polls in the north-eastern state of Tripura and will field the party’s own candidates in all the 60 assembly constituencies there.

The decision was taken at a meeting between the Tripura Trinamool Congress leadership and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at the latter’s office at Camac Street on Friday, said the party observer for Tripura, Rajib Banerjee.

“Our prospects in each of the seats were discussed at the meeting. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are the principal assets of the party and hence we have decided to move alone,” Rajib Banerjee said.

He said that the Tripura Trinamool Congress leadership has submitted a total of 120 names as prospective candidates, two names for each constituency.

“The party’s top leadership will finalise the names of the candidates and announce the final list of candidates shortly,” Rajib Banerjee said.

The polling for the 60-seat Tripura assembly is scheduled on February 16.

Rajib Banerjee expressed confidence that the party’s performance in the upcoming assembly polls will be much better than “what it was in the past”.

It was learnt that both Mamata Banerjee as well as Abhishek Banerjee will visit Tripura and campaign on behalf of the party there for the assembly polls.

According to Banerjee, the Left Front-Congress alliance in Tripura will not be a factor for Trinamool Congress’ efforts to take on the ruling BJP there.

According to him, neither Congress nor Left Front got any relevance after both being reduced to zero in terms of assembly presence after the 2021 West Bengal polls.

“Rather, this alliance in Tripura will indirectly help the BJP by dividing the opposition vote,” he said.