Ratan Lal Nath calls CPI(M) ‘anti-national’, draws sharp response from LoP

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 22, 2026

Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Monday described the CPI(M) as an “anti-national” force and said the BJP-Tipra Motha electoral understanding in Tripura was aimed primarily at preventing the Left party from gaining an advantage in the upcoming village council elections.

The remarks triggered a sharp response from Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury, who accused the minister of making baseless statements while defending the CPI(M)’s record of opposing what he described as attacks on democratic values.

Nath, who is overseeing the BJP’s poll strategy and coordination with Tipra Motha, said the ruling alliance had agreed to ensure that the CPI(M) did not benefit electorally.

“I consider communists as anti-national and hence all our allies have reached a consensus that not an inch of land should be left for them,” Nath told reporters.

He said BJP and Tipra Motha workers would follow different arrangements in seats where the two parties are engaged in a friendly contest, while supporting each other against the CPI(M) elsewhere.

“The CPI(M) is the primary electoral rival here. I don’t see the party having any substantial prospects for the ensuing polls,” Nath said.

He also criticised former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and the Leader of Opposition for their claims about the political situation in the state and said villages had witnessed development except in some stretches of the national highway.

Chaudhury rejected Nath’s remarks and said the CPI(M) did not require a “certificate of patriotism” from the BJP or its leaders.

He accused the minister of making such comments in an attempt to target the Left Front and said the CPI(M) had opposed what he termed attacks on democratic values.

Chaudhury also questioned the BJP-Tipra Motha electoral arrangement, saying the two parties were contesting against each other in around 80 per cent of the seats.

He claimed the arrangement reached at the leadership level had not been followed by local leaders and workers.

The exchange comes ahead of the village council elections, with leaders of rival parties intensifying their campaigns and criticism of each other.

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