Agartala: Keeping the alliance spirit with CPI-M, an hour after BJP’s candidature Congress on Saturday announced its nominee to 17 seats for the upcoming assembly poll scheduled on February 16 next.
There has been a long battle between CPI-M and Congress over seat adjustment after the latter party was given 13 seats by the left front out of 60.
Besides, seeking readjustment for four seats Congress was demanding at least 17 seats based on its winning prospect but the attempt couldn’t succeed. While announcing to go for a friendly fight in four seats – Barjala, Majlishpur, Badharghat, and R K Pur, congress fielded candidates in 13 allocated seats by left parties.
Senior Congress leader and former BJP MLA Ashish Kumar Saha would fight from the Town Bardowali constituency against Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha. Former BJP minister and Congress MLA Sudip Roybarman who won a by-election last year against BJP from Agartala constituency would fight again from his traditional seat. The BJP has not yet declared its candidate for the seat.
Interestingly, three parties have nominated their respective candidate from one family in the Badharghat constituency – traditionally a congress bastion. While BJP nominated Mina Sarkar, her elder brother Raj Kumar Sarkar has been nominated by Congress and Forward Bloc nominated their nephew Partha Pratim Sarkar as a left-front candidate in Baharghat constituency.
The family members joined different parties after the death of Congress stalwart and former minister Dilip Sarkar three years ago as a sitting BJP MLA after a prolonged illness. Congress and Left Front have been in a dispute over the seat but nobody was ready to leave it.
