Cong should declare itself as B team of CPI(M): Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar

New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday took a dig at the Congress on its performance in assembly polls in three north eastern states and dubbed the party as the “B team of the CPI(M)” following the dismal showing of the opposition alliance in Tripura.

The BJP-IPFT alliance won 31 seats in the 60-member Tripura assembly, securing its return to power in the northeastern state for the second time in a row.

According to the Election Commission website, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 30 seats, while the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) got one. The saffron party is leading in two more seats as results of 57 seats were declared on Thursday.

The BJP is also set to form the next government in Nagaland where it contested with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), and improved its tally in Meghalaya.

In a series of tweets, Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, took potshots at the Congress over its politically contrasting position as the opposition party allies with the Left in north-eastern states and West Bengal and contests against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala.

“Congress should formalise them as B-team of CPI(M) status in Kerala too after their showing in Tripura since Cong is already in alliance wth CPI(M) in rest of country like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal,” he tweeted.

Tagging a tweet of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in which the latter cited a news article titled BJP’s ideology is the Constitution of India: Chandrasekhar’, the BJP leader said, “I was waiting for result day to see Cong whitewashed from Nagaland, Tripura , Meghalaya – bcoz of campaign of shameless lies n fear mongering by their leaders’ like this one by their intellectual leader.”

Chandrasekhar was involved in the BJP’s organisational work in the three northeastern states which had recently gone to polls.