Trinamool debuts in Arunachal Pradesh, wants more

The Congress was expected to sweep the polls in Arunachal Pradesh, which it did, but what surprised everyone is the party that is going to be a significant opposition, the UPA’s ally at the Centre, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.

Gaining five seats is certainly not bad, considering that this is its first showing here. The results have encouraged the Trinamool so much that its spokesperson, Union minister Mukul Roy, said the party will contest elections in Assam, Jharkhand, Kerala and even Tamil Nadu, apart from Tripura.

“In 2000, we got one seat in Orissa, in 2001 we got one seat in Assam. We need 6% votes in four states to apply for a national party tag,” he said.

“What worked in Arunachal was Mamata’s clean image and work,” he said. “We have assessed that we have a real chance of doing well in Jharkhand and Tripura, where our better record at fighting the CPI(M) will help us,” Roy said.

Roy denied that the Congress would have a problem with the Trinamool venturing into newer areas competing for the same votes. “There is no question of that, since the UPA is a central alliance and has no relevance in states. In fact, we will be helping a secular alliance in Jharkhand where Congress has to take on the BJP,” Roy said. Arunachal has 60 assembly seats. The Congress won 41, the Trinamool beat the BJP, which got two seats, to emerge as the single largest opposition party.