Cong snubs Communists in Tripura, fields 17 candidates and not 13 as 'given' by CPI-M led Left Front

Congress snubs Communists in Tripura, fields 17 candidates and not 13 as 'given' by CPI-M led Left Front 

BJP releases list of 48 candidates for Tripura polls, CM Manik Saha to contest from Town Bordowali 

In the second list of BJP released in the evening too, the saffron party refrained from naming any candidate for Agartala seat which is a bastion of Sudip Roy Barman. The former Minister had won 2018 polls on BJP ticket but later quit the Lotus outfit over his reservation to work under Biplab Deb, who too was replaced by Dr Manik Saha.

The Congress will fight in 17 seats in Tripura. The list released by party’s North East In charge Mukul Wasnik virtually snubbed the communists and also dumped the so called alliance between two traditional rivals. 

The Congress had entered into an alliance with CPI-M to prevent the division of the opposition votes. But it was not happy with only 13 seats left by the Left Front. 

"This was a classic case of the Left leaving us in the lurch," a party source said. 

Denied of any more seats the Congress ultimately decided to add four more seats on it own where the CPI-M had also fielded its candidates.

Veteran Manik Sarkar opts out

According to the Congress list, party stalwart Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Saha would fight from Agartala constituency and Town Bordowali.

Former BJP MLA, D C Hrangkhawl, would contest from Karamchara constituency. Former TPCC president Birajit Sinha would fight from Banamalipur. 

In North Tripura, surprisingly contrary to the common belief from Kamalpur Congress fielded Rubi Gope, who will take on Minister Manoj Kanti Deb. This has made Food and Civil Supplies Minister's job much more easy. Kamalpur was a traditional Left bastion and the fact that Leftists left the seat for Congress was itself a big surprise. Ms Gope was a Gram Pradhan from Kalarchhari area in Kamalpur of Dhalai district. Ms Gope was with CPI-M earlier and had joined BJP in 2018 but again joined Congress.  

"There were already reports of serious resentment and frustrations among the Congress workers who felt that it would not be possible for them to work together with the CP-M," says TripuraNet.com run by senior journalist Manas Paul, who also hails from Kamalpur.

Now in 4 seats the fight will be triangular as with Congress vs CPI-M vs BJP. 

However, there are indications at the last moment an understating could be arrived between the Congress and CPI-M.

In the second list, BJP named six candidates incuding Binod Debbarma from Simna, Tarit Debbarma from Mandaibazar and Ram Prasad Paul from Suryamaninagar.  

Union Minister Pratima Bhowmick to contest from Dhanpur. List of 48 has 11 women candidates. 

New Delhi 

The BJP on Saturday released the names of 48 candidates for Tripura assembly polls.

Voting in the north eastern state for 60-member assembly will take place on Feb 16.

According to list of 48 candidates named, Chief Minister Manik Saha will contest from Town Bordowali in Agartala while senior leader Rattan Lal Nath will contest from Mohanpur. 

The Lotus party nominees include 11 women from 48 candidates named in today's list. 

The party also retained state Minister Manoj Deb for Kamalpur assembly segment even as there was demand for change of the party nominee this time.

From Dhanpur wherein the CPI-M has dropped four time Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, the BJP will field Union Minister of State Pratima Bhowmick.

From Kailasahar, the BJP nominee will be sitting MLA (and former CPI-M leader) Md Moboshar Ali. The former Marxist joined the BJP on Friday. 

From Banamalipur, which was contested by former CM Biplab Deb in 2018, the saffron party nominee will be Rajeev Bhattacharjee.

The BJP Central Election Committee held a meeting on Friday in Delhi which was presided over by BJP national president J P Nadda and attended among others by PM Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and also BJP organisational general secretary B L Santhosh.

From Surma, the party has renominated Swapna Das Paul, who had won the recent by-election. From Belonia, the BJP nominee, the party candidate will be Gautam Sarkar.

Bishwabandhu Sen will be BJP candidate from Dharmanagar. Another State Minister Bhagaban Chandra Das will be contesting from Pabiachhara (SC) seat.

Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Debbarma has been nominated for Charilam (ST) reserved seat. From Pechartal assembly segment reserved for ST, the BJP nominee will be Santana Chakma.

Ms Himani Debbarma will be party candidate from Golaghati. Minarani Sarkar will be the BJP nominee from Badarghat. 

Some of the ST reserved seats from where last time IPFT fought the elections were kept vacant this time also. The BJP did not announce the candidates names from Surjyamaninagar and Agartala assembly constituencies.  Surjyamaninagar is presently represented by minister Ram Prasad Paul while Agartala seat is being represented by Congress stalwart Sudip Roy Barman, who had won on BJP ticket in 2018.

Among the MLAs who were dropped by BJP this time were Mimi Majumdar from Badharghat (SC) seat where Mina Rani Sarkar has been fielded.

 Arun Chandra Bhowmik from Belonia is also dropped from where Gautam Sarkar would fight the Feb 16 polls. 

From Nalchar (SC) seat, Subhash Chandra Das has been replaced by Kishore Barman.

For Ampinagar (ST) seat was represented by BJP ally IPFT  in 2018 polls, but this time Patal Kanya Jamatia has been nominated by Lotus party from this constituency.

Suchitra Debbarma was given the nomination from Ambassa replacing Parimal Debbarma.

Political observers feel with marginalised Left and Congress deciding to come together and Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress not making much penetration, it will be comparatively easy contest for the BJP this time.

The communists decided to drop several of their top ranking leaders including four time Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and the likes of Badal Choudhary, Tapan Chakraborty and former Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha in this year's polls. 

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