CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said a triangular fight in the small but politically important state of Tripura would help the Left-Congress alliance in the upcoming assembly elections.
The Left leader told PTI that local-level leaders would make an assessment to see “who is best equipped to defeat the BJP”, while considering possible adjustments for elections with other parties (such as Tipra Motha) In view of 16 February.
“BJP (and its ally IPFT) won 18 out of 20 seats in tribal areas in the last election,” Yechury said.
In the 60-member Tripura Assembly, 20 seats are reserved for tribal areas. The BJP had won a total of 36 seats in 2018 to form the government, half of which were from tribal areas.
“This time Tipra Motha is leading in the tribal areas. IPFT has now become just a drum and BJP has given it only 5 seats. The advantage that BJP got last time, it will not happen again. This should help the Left-Congress alliance.
Analysts here agree with the CPI(M)’s assessment that with the rise of Tipra Motha, a party founded by Pradyut Kishor Manikya Debbarma, a scion of the state’s erstwhile royal family and a Tripuri, BJP’s vote and seat share in tribal areas There will be a huge shortage.
In the last elections, the BJP had a vote share of 43.59 per cent, compared to the CPI(M)’s 42.22 per cent and the Congress a few percentage points higher. “We will benefit from it,” insisted Yechury.
In 2018, the BJP came to power, grabbing most of the votes from the Congress, which stood at around 37 per cent in 2013, and partly from the vote bank of the CPI(M), which stood at 48 per cent in 2013.
With the expected reduction in tribal votes (which is about a third of the state’s total) for the BJP, the Left believes that the alliance led by it will benefit in the upcoming elections.
Elections to the assembly of this small state are considered significant as political pundits expect a tough contest between the ruling party and the opposition, with elections to elect state governments for the first time in a year.
Until 2018, the electoral contest in the state was largely between the Congress and the CPI(M), with smaller tribal parties playing a minor but at times significant role.
With both the then Maharaja and Maharani, Congress MPs (Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya Deb Burman Bahadur won three terms in the Lok Sabha – 1967, 1977 and 1989 – while his wife Bibhu Kumari Devi won in 1981), a tribal close to the grand old party strong presence in the region
However, veteran tribal communist leaders like Dasaratha Debbarma, who became a popular chief minister of the state, and Jitendra Chowdhary, the likely Left candidate for chief ministership in this election, ensured that the CPI(M) also had a strong presence. Tribal area where Tripuris, Reangs, Jamatiyas, Chakmas, Mogs, Kukis and others live.
Explaining his earlier statement at a press conference, Yechury said, “At the grassroots level, who will be able to defeat the BJP will be assessed by the grassroots leaders.” Motha, there may be a local level understanding.
He said, “That’s why I said there is a possibility at that time because people will decide who can achieve this objective (of defeating the BJP)”. He explained the visible resurgence of the CPI(M) as a result of, among other things, his party’s “consistent opposition to repression” by the BJP government.
Yechury said, “The CPI(M) was most consistent in opposing the repression unleashed on the people and this has been recognized by the people.”
He also said that “people have realized the need to unite all secular and democratic forces to oust the BJP government”.
The CPI(M), which has faced attacks on its party offices and workers in the past and some of its workers defecting to the BJP, is more visible in the assembly elections.
Convoys of trucks and motorcycles carrying hammer and sickle red flags, SFI (communist students’ wing) supporters and CPI(M) workers wearing red T-shirts are part of the scene in rural areas.
Speaking on the possibility of post-poll talks, Yechury said, “Let’s see…the first battle has to be won on 16th (February, the date of the election). The second fight will take place on March 2 (the day of counting). That we’ll meet then…”
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)