The Tripura Congress has decided not to participate in the upcoming by-elections scheduled for September 5 in the 20-Boxanagar and 23-Dhanpur assembly constituencies.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee President, Asish Saha said, “Although the CPIM hurriedly announced their candidates without consulting with Congress, they are part of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance. Complying with the Congress central leadership’s directives, the party has chosen not to field any candidates for the twin by-polls.”

Saha expressed optimism that the opposition alliance’s candidates would emerge victorious in both constituencies in a free and fair election.

Asish Saha also held the ‘anti-social elements’ within the BJP’ responsible for the attacks on Congress party offices in Bagma and the Math Chowmuhani area of Agartala last night (Tuesday).

In a formal complaint addressed to DGP Amitava Ranjan, Saha said that during their attempt to raise the national flag in the party office near Bagma bazar the previous day, a vast group of BJP-affiliated troublemakers reached the office.

They forcefully expelled all Congress party workers and inflicted injuries on several of them. Besides, the miscreants vandalized the party office, and set fire to photographs of revered leaders and freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

The entire party office was subjected to destruction and disorder. Surprisingly, despite being alerted, the police personnel from Bagma police station did not intervene to safeguard the Congress office on Independence Day morning.

Furthermore, Ashish Saha alleged that BJP-backed individuals caused significant damage to numerous vehicles, including the private car owned by former AMC councillor Radheshyam Saha in Agartala’s Math Chowmuhani area.

Surprisingly, despite these incidents, no action was taken by the police personnel stationed at the East Agartala police station.