Agartala: Agartala: Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman on Saturday said the party is ready to collaborate with Left Front to confront BJP in Tripura in the 2028 assembly elections, proposing a 50:50 seat-sharing arrangement.His remarks came after Congress and Left failed to forge an alliance for the ongoing Tripura civic body polls.Roy Barman also expressed concern over an alleged violent incident involving a CPM candidate during the Agartala Municipal Corporation election, alleging that BJP was resorting to violence to influence results.“Although the opposition parties are participating in the civic polls independently, we stand united against any violent strategies, election rigging attempts, or misconduct by BJP,” Roy Barman said.Roy Barman said Congress would not oppose forming an electoral pact with CPM if the Left leadership agreed to a 50:50 allocation. He suggested that if both parties contest 30 seats each in the 60-member assembly, BJP could potentially be reduced to a minor player.Currently, BJP holds 33 seats, while its coalition partner Tipra Motha holds 13, and IPFT one. CPM has 10 seats and Congress has three. Instead of dismissing the possibility of teaming up with CPM, Roy Barman has shown openness to a broader opposition coalition, with equal seat distribution being a key condition.Roy Barman said a 50:50 formula would ensure parity and enable both parties to run for the same number of seats, thus preventing any impression that one is subordinate to the other. His comments have revived debate on opposition unity, with divisions ahead of the 2018 assembly polls cited as a factor that helped BJP strengthen its electoral position.Congress and CPM formed an alliance for the 2023 assembly elections, yet disagreements over tactics and local arrangements have continued.Despite both parties highlighting the importance of avoiding a division in anti-BJP votes, conflicts over candidate selection and seat distribution have hindered their attempts to find common ground.Roy Barman’s stance may now ignite fresh discussions within the opposition over the possibility of uniting against BJP ahead of the 2028 assembly elections.
