Agartala: Marching ahead of ruling BJP and opposition Congress and Trinamool, Left Front in Tripura on Monday announced their candidates within an hour of notification to hold by-poll to four assembly constituencies in 60 –members’ houses scheduled on June 23 next.
Addressing a press conference LF Chairman Narayan Kar said CPI-M candidates would fight in three seats while one seat has been allocated to the front’s constituent All India Forward Bloc. A senior women leader of CPI-M Krishna Majumder would contest from crucial 6-Agargala constituency where former BJP minister and senior leader of Congress Sudip Roy Barman is expected to contest.
The Forward Bloc leader Raghunath Sarkar was announced to fight from 8-Bardowali (city) where Congress stalwart and former BJP MLA Ashis Kumar Saha is all set to contest as Congress nominee. The newly selected Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha is reportedly contesting from this seat.
The former CPI-M MLA Anjan Das would contest from 46 –Surma (SC) constituency while senior party leader Shailendra Chandra Nath would fight from 57 –Jubarajnagar seat. The seats became vacant due to death of CPM MLA from Jubarajnagar R C Nath, resignation of two BJP MLAs – Sudip Roy Barman (Agartala) and Ashis Kumar Saha (Bardowali) and cessation of assembly membership of BJP MLA Ashis Das (Surma) for joining Trinamool Congress.
Another MLA of BJP’s ally IPFT Brishaketu Debbarma resigned from the assembly in July last year but the Speaker has not yet accepted it. As a result, election to 1 –Simna constituency was not announced. However, Brishaketu made it clear that he has resigned from the assembly and IPFT party as well and joined in TIPRA Motha of royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman.
“Practically, Simna has no MLA for last 10 months but don’t know the reason why the by-election is not being announced. I am confident, TIPRA Motha will be the major party to form the government in next assembly elections and in this by-election we shall also win at least one seat. People of Tripura do not believe in the BJP anymore, we all want a change in both government and governance,” Brishaketu said.
The ruling BJP in Tripura is likely to announce its candidates for the upcoming bye-elections in the state on June 2, which is scheduled to be finalised in its core committee meeting on Monday, party sources said adding, “We are not worried about a multi-cornered fight in the by-poll. We are confident people will vote for us in all four constituencies.”
However, Congress said they would announce their nominee in a day or two. The election notification said the last date of filling of nomination is June 6 and the scrutiny of will
be done the next day. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is June 9. The counting of votes will take place on June 26 after the election on June 23.
