AGRATAL, July 17 (TIWN): Tripura's 7 MLAs have voted for NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind on Monday in the left front ruled state Tripura. All of those 7 MLAs actually belonged to Congress but recently out of various political changes, issues they have decided to vote for Kovind and with lakh of party workers the MLAs to join BJP soon; so that the Anti-CPI(M) vote banks not get divided. On the other side there were total 10 MLAs in Congress just before one year also, but with Mamata Banerjee's anti CPI(M) drive and Congress/ CPI-M's alliance for the West Bengal Assembly 6 MLAs in Tripura Sudip Roy Barman, Asish Saha, Dilip Sarkar, Diba Chandra Rankhol, Pranjit Sinha Roy, Biswabandhu Sen had joined Trinamool, whereas one MLA Jiten Sarkar had joined CPI-M. Meanwhile with the increasing power of BJP as the opposition both in Tripura as well as in West Bengal, Trinamool Supremo Mamata Banerjee started aligning with CPI-M that led the Trinamool to become weak in Tripura.

Already CPI-M MLA Jiten Sarkar left CPI-M and joined BJP and now this 6 MLAs also all set to join BJP. Among the 3 Congress MLAs, another MLA Ratan Lal Nath has also casted vote for NDA candidate and thus total 7 MLAs out of 60 have openly voted for NDA candidate  Kovind in Tripura.

What will benefit BJP is Sudip Barman's joining who is one of the prominent Chief Opposition leaders in Tripura to puncture all the scams of CPI-M. However, the BJP joining date yet to be reported but within 7 days after voting for Kovind, they will be joining BJP.

Being asked by media, MLA Asish Saha said, "Ram Nath Kovind is the ideal candidate to run the country and Tripura will be also benefited from Kovind Ji".

MLA Biswabandhu Sen said, "This was our first move to join anti-CPI(M) vote banks for the next Assembly Election of 2018".

MLA Diachandra Rankhol blasting CPI-M said, "This Govt has turned our ADC as a baby's toy without any development. Without wiping out CPI-M, tribal development is not possible. So, it's time to join all anti-CPI(M) vote banks to defeat CPI-M".

MLA Sudip Barman clearly said, "Wherever the CPI-Ms are, we will not be there. That is the reason, we had selected Mamata Banerjee as our leader as it was her stand that she will never walk with CPI-M, but seeing her changes and keeping the crucial election in front we have voted for the NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind".

(The vote casting in the Presidential Election had began on Monday morning with MLA Sudhan Das to cast the first vote, whereas Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has voted at 11.10 AM and ended with the 7 MLAs voting at 12.30 PM).