Correspondent
Agartala, July 25, 2023: Pijush Kanti Biswas, who had been serving as the president of Tripura Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the past seven months, has announced his resignation from the position, along with stepping down from the primary membership of the party.
In his resignation letter addressed to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Biswas cited "personal reasons" and "family problems" as the primary factors influencing his decision. He expressed his gratitude to Mamata Banerjee and TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee for providing him with the opportunity to lead the party in the state of Tripura.
During a media interaction in Agartala, Biswas explained that he found it challenging to devote enough time to the organization in recent months due to personal commitments, and family issues further hindered his ability to contribute effectively to the party. When asked about his future political plans, he stated that he had not yet made a decision regarding joining any other party.
Biswas' resignation comes at a crucial time, less than a year before the 2024 general elections. He was appointed as the state chief of the party following the removal of Subal Bhowmik from the post due to his unsatisfactory performance in the 2022 Assembly bypolls.
Prior to joining the Trinamool Congress, Pijush Kanti Biswas had a history with the Congress party. In December 2019, he assumed the role of acting president of the Congress in Tripura after the previous state chief, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, resigned. Subsequently, Biswas went on to form his own party, the Tripura Democratic Front (TDF), along with his son, Pujan Biswas, who was formerly the state Youth Congress chief.
In September 2022, Pujan Biswas made the switch to TMC, and his father followed suit in December 2022 after a meeting with Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. However, under Biswas' leadership during the February 2023 Assembly elections, the TMC's performance was lackluster, with the party securing only 0.88 per cent of the vote share.
As Biswas steps down from his role, the Tripura Trinamool Congress faces the task of appointing a new leader to lead the party in the state and prepare for the upcoming electoral challenges.