Amid speculation over joining BJP, Cong working president in Tripura expelled

Agartala: Billal Mia, the working president of the Tripura Congress, resigned from his position and was soon after expelled from the party due to rumours that he could join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

According to a senior member of the grand old party, Mia was expelled from the Congress on Wednesday for anti-party activity after he turned in his papers.

The expulsion came after senior Tripura ministers Ratan Lal Nath and Sushanta Chowdhury met him at his residence in Sonamura in Sepahijala district recently.

"Billal Mia has been expelled from the Congress for six years for indulging in anti-party activities," a senior party leader said.

Mia, who was a former state minister, also resigned from the party.

The Indian National Congress was my home for the last 44 years and during this period, I have served the party in various capacities. At present, I am the working president of TPCC. With immediate effect, I hereby resign from all the party posts of INC along with primary membership," Mia said in a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Asish Kumar Saha expelled Mia, who was the party's face to minority voters in the Sonamura subdivision where by-elections to two assembly constituencies are scheduled to take place on September 5.

Chief Minister Manik Saha and BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee are scheduled to attend a mega joining programme at Kulubari under Boxanagar Assembly constituency on Thursday.

A senior BJP leader claimed that Mia and hundreds of Congress workers are likely to join the saffron party in the presence of the chief minister and the state party president ahead of the by-polls.

With PTI inputs