On June 23, bypolls will be held in Tripura for four assembly seats- Agartala, Town Bardowali, Soorma and Jubarajnagar. Doesn’t sound like a high-stakes electoral battle, and yet the ensuing contests have garnered significant national attention.
The bypoll is being seen as a semi-final for the assembly elections to be held in Tripura next year. Chief Minister Dr. Manik SahHe will contest from Bardowali, who recently replaced his controversial predecessor Biplab Deb.
Of the four seats, three were held by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and it is trying to capture these, snatching a fourth seat from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The death of Left MLA Ramendra Chandra Devnath from Jubrajnagar, and resignations of BJP MLAs Sudip Roy Burman and Ashish Saha from Agartala and Town Bardowali, respectively, necessitated by-polls to those seats. MLA from Soorma Assembly Constituency Ashish Das was disqualified by the Speaker of the Assembly after he joined the Trinamool Congress from the BJP.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Dr Manik Saha never contested elections. He faces a major challenge in Town Bardowali, as he faces five-time winner Sudip Roy Burman, who is now with the Congress. Bardowali, Agartala and Soorma were all with the BJP, but the legislators switched parties in revolt against Biplab Deb. Burman and Ashish Saha are the MLAs contesting for the Congress this time.
Speaking to News18, Manik Saha said, “Yes, it is a challenge and I know I am capable of dealing with it. We will win by a good margin.”
Experts say that there are several reasons why the by-elections for these four seats are important from a larger perspective.
Firstly, the polls will tell the BJP how the residents of Tripura are feeling after the Biplab is removed.
It is also an opportunity to see how the disgruntled BJP leaders who have joined the Congress are performing this time.
This will also be a test for Trinamool CongressWho wants to expand in Tripura and is trying to present himself as the main opposition.
With this, the position of Congress and Left parties in the state will be cleared.
Tipra Motha, the regional organization of royal descendant Pradaut Kishore Debbarma, who was born last year, is also in the fray. She is contesting from Soorma with the support of Congress. The party’s demand for a new state ‘Greater Tipperland’, and influence over 20 assembly seats in the state. How Tipra Motha performs will be judged in the by-elections as well.
The BJP has fielded its Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma and other important leaders for the election campaign. Himanta campaigned in Tripura by dodging the Congress. “Congress is old currency and there is no point in voting for it,” he said.
TMC is also out and is contesting from all the four seats. Party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee himself had come to Tripura twice before the by-elections to campaign.
“If you vote for Congress or CPI(M), your vote will be wasted. Give us a chance Tripura is on the verge of change and we will do it.
Congress and Left parties also campaigned vigorously. The buzz around TMC is created by the media and has no basis Tripurait is said.
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