Trinamool Congress MLAs in Tripura would not vote for the party-supported Opposition candidate Meira Kumar in the presidential election. State TMC president Ashish Saha, who is one of six legislators of the party said, they have taken the decision to keep distance from the ruling CPI(M) which is the ‘main political rival’ for them in the State.
“We left the Congress and joined the TMC with a strong resolution to out-seat the CPI(M). We cannot vote in line with the CP (M)”, Mr. Saha told The Hindu on Sunday adding that the MLAs met on Saturday to adopt unanimous resolution on not supporting Ms. Kumar.
Leader non-committal
TMC president, however, remained non-committal on supporting the NDA candidate, but said BJP’s Assam stalwart Himanta Biswa Sarma and national general secretary Ram Madhav appealed them to vote in favour of Ram Nath Kovind. Both of them spoke to party leader Sudip Roy Barman on the issue.
BJP’s central observer Sunil Deodhar on Sunday confirmed that Mr. Madhav spoke to Mr. Barman on the presidential election.
“He also requested them to meet Mr. Kovind when he comes to Guwahati”, he stated.
On rebel Congress MLA Ratan Lal Nath who is currently hobnobbing with the BJP, Mr. Deodhar said he has given assurance to vote for Mr. Kovind.
With one Congress MLA pledging support to the BJP and the TMC apparently going for NDA aspirant, Opposition candidate Meira Kumar is likely to garner votes of the Left and two Congress legislators.
