Abhishek Banerjee said, "We came to Tripura to defeat the BJP like in Bengal".
The June 23 by-polls to four assembly seats will begin the end of BJP governance in Tripura and the end will be the assembly polls due next year, Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on Tuesday after participating in a road show.
Addressing an election meeting in state capital Agartala, Mr Banerjee said: "You (the BJP) have Enforcement Directorate, CBI, Income Tax, we have the support of the people. The CBI chose this day (Tuesday) to interrogate my wife (Rujira Narula Banerjee) because they didn't want me to come here (Tripura)."
"But no force can stop us. We don't want 'duare gunda' (goons at the door steps), we want duare sarkar (government at the door step). Tripura will not be controlled from Delhi but by Tripura's people," he added.
Referring to former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb quitting the top post, the Trinamool leader said the change of face will not stave off the BJP's defeat in the 2023 assembly polls.
Attacks and atrocities on opposition supporters, which were part of daily life in Tripura during Mr Deb's regime, have not stopped even after Manik Saha became Chief Minister a month ago, he alleged.
"After the Trinamool started political activity in Tripura in August last year, the BJP became frightened. Not only the BJP, the CPM and the Congress are also afraid of Mamata Banerjee. We came to Tripura to defeat the BJP like in Bengal. There is no force to curb the spirit of TMC," he said.
Accompanied by the party leaders from both Bengal and Tripura, Mr Banerjee alleged that 35 years Left rule, five years of Congress rule and over four years of BJP rule had ended the development of Tripura and deprived the people.
"Now the time has come to give a chance to the Trinamool Congress for undertaking an actual development of the state like Bengal," said Mr Banerjee, assuring the people that that he will come again on June 20 to campaign for the party.
"Whenever you call me, I will come here (Tripura) within an hour. Not only in Tripura, the Trinamool will extend its political base in Assam and Meghalaya too," the party's Lok Sabha member said.