Agartala, Dec 29: Former BJP MLA and veteran tribal leader Diba Chandra Hrangkhawl, who had resigned from the Tripura Assembly on Wednesday, BJP leader Rajkumar Sarkar, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Rakesh Das joined Congress at a big rally, organised by the opposition party to show its strength ahead of the assembly polls.

Hrangkhawl was the 5th BJP MLA and 8th MLA of the BJP-IPFT (Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura) ruling alliance to quit since last year.

Of the 8 legislators, three joined Congress, four joined tribal based party Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA), headed by former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman, and one joined Trinamool Congress.

Addressing the rally, Congress in-charge for Tripura, Ajoy Kumar, said some BJP leaders called Prime Minister Narendar Modi as the father of the nation, others call Mohan Bhagwat, and tomorrow they will make Amit Shah another father of the nation.