Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar kicked off the formal poll campaign at Belonia in South Tripura on Sunday for the candidates of ruling left front in the state ahead of Lok Sabha election to two constituencies on April 7 and 12.
At a time when CPI-M cadres in Sabroom, south Tripura, have been protesting against the nomination of incumbent Industries & Commerce, Forest, Rural Development and Information Technology minister Jitendra Chaudhury in East Tripura tribal reserved seat, Sarkar justified the nomination to spread the canvas of the left movement in the country.
Addressing the rally, Sarkar said, “Both Jitendra Chaudhury and Shankar Datta, the Lok Sabha candidates of Left Front are comparatively young in age, dynamic, visionary and industrious, which Left Front requires in Parliament to strengthen the voice against anti-people policies of the country.”
He however, pointed out that after multiple failure of UPA II, left politics has become more relevant and significant to save the country from ongoing crisis in all respect where common people have been disregarded by the central government for the interest of a few multi millionaires.
Sharing the dais with both nominees, Sarkar reiterated that the Left Front would do wonders in the upcoming national polls while calling upon all the democratic parties barring BJP and Congress to come together to form a third alternative government in the country.
Meanwhile, the CPI-M cadres of Sabroom blockaded the National Highway at Kalacherra, demanding the cancellation of the candidature of Chaudhury, alleging that a powerful left lobby hatched the conspiracy to send him out of the state.
They also argued that the development of the state would be severely hampered if he was elected as an MP because he is the most prolific minister after the Chief Minister and Chaudhury is a possible successor as Chief Minister.
“After Dasarath Debbarma in 1993, Manik Sarkar is the Chief Minister of the state for the fourth term in a row since 1998, but next time definitely the party has to find out a tribal Chief Minister where Jitendra Chaudhury is unparalleled, but if he is sent to Lok Sabha, his prospect will be blocked,” alleged a senior leader of Tripura CPI-M.
On the other hand, Congress fielded former vice-chancellor of Tripura (Central) University, Prof Arunoday Saha, as their candidate in the West Tripura constituency and another educationist, Sachitra Debbarma, in East Tripura seat against Chaudhury.
The Congress ally Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) expressed satisfaction over the party nominees and announced that it would continue in the alliance for the next Lok Sabha polls.
Meanwhile, president of the Tripura unit of the BJP, Sudhindra Dasgupta, will contest from the West Tripura seat and party unit vice-president Parikshit Debbarma will fight it out from the East Tripura seat.
Trinamool Congress has fielded its Chairman and former Congress minister Ratan Chakraborty in West Tripura and Bhriguram Reang, a former leader of the Congress, in East Tripura.
The new Aam Aadmi Party has also decided to fight in both Tripura seats, where renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr Salil Saha will contest in the West, while the decision for East Tripura seat has not been finalised, said party leaders. (UNI)