TMC removes Tripura state party President ahead of Assembly polls

Trinamool Congress on Wednesday removed Subal Bhowmick, the president of its Tripura state unit months before the Northeastern state goes for Assembly elections.

Although the party did not cite any reason while making the decision public in the morning, the TMC's in-charge of Tripura, Rajib Banerjee later told reporters at Agartala in the evening that Bhowmick was removed as he failed to build up the party ahead of the Assembly elections.

Bhowmick, a former MLA and one of the prominent faces in the state politics, was removed from all responsibilities with immediate effect.

TMC, however, has not yet named its next president. "The party appointed Bhowmick keeping in mind his long experience in state politics. The party thought he would be able to build up Trinamool in Tripura from the grassroots, taking all on board. But the party now feels that he has failed to perform as per expectation. So he has been relieved from the president's post," Banerjee said.

He further said the TMC's poor performance in the by-polls for four Assembly seats in June also suggested Bhowmick's failure. TMC did not win a seat in the bypolls.

A statement issued by TMC said Banerjee and Sushmita Dev, Rajya Sabha MP will look after the functioning of the party till a new state president is appointed.

Bhowmick had joined TMC last year from Congress. He was in BJP before joining Congress in 2018.

The development is seen as significant given the fact that the TMC has set its eyes to unseat BJP in Tripura in the Assembly elections slated yearly next year.