Agartala, July 4: In a new twist to the ongoing power struggle in the Autonomous District Council (ADC), chief executive member Hirendra Kumar Tripura was asked to resign by his party today. The central executive committee of the National Socialist Party of Tripura (NSPT) ordered the controversial leader to tender his resignation from the post by July 8, failing which he would be expelled.
Tripura who is currently outside the state for treatment of his eyes, could not be contacted for his reaction.
The simmering discontent over Tripura?s activities, among his partymen and the CPM, which is extending support to the council from outside, came out into the open yesterday when the NSPT central executive body held a meeting to discuss threadbare the series of scandals in which Tripura is involved.
The members expressed the view that the situation has come to such a pass that police cases would have to be registered against Tripura. His continuance as chief executive member of a constitutional body such as the ADC would in that case become untenable. They, therefore, decided to ask him to resign or face expulsion.
The NSPT?s central executive body meeting today was preceded by a meeting with its ally the CPM whose support is crucial for the NSPT to retain power at the ADC. The CPM leadership expressed their unhappiness over Hirendra Kumar Tripura?s involvement in a series of scandals and persuaded the NSPT to take action against him. Sources in the CPM said if the party continued to support a tainted chief executive member in the ADC, it would suffer in the election to the council slated in May next year.
Sources in the NSPT, however, admitted members were divided over who should replace Tripura. The CPM has already made it clear that it is not interested in supporting either of the two main contenders for the post ?Muluk Chand Debbarma and Budhu Debbarma. Both have criminal cases registered against them, including bank robbery and sending tribal youths across the border to NLFT hideouts in Bangladesh for training.
?Sooner or later, the cases will be investigated and a new problem will arise if either of the two is elected as chief executive member, the CPM has pointed out,? a source said.
They added that Shanti Ranjan Reang, a relatively non-controversial figure, is not willing to take over the all-important post in the ADC. However, amid concerns that Tripura might resort to new machinations to hold on to his post, the sources hoped that a solution to the imbroglio would soon be found.