Both ruling and opposition candidates submit nominations for West Tripura LS

AGARTALA: Loksabha candidates of both ruling BJP-IPFT-TMP and opposition Congress-CPI-M for West Tripura Loksabha constituency along with the BJP nominee for Ramnagar by-poll on Wednesday filed nominations with two separate rallies in the city to West Tripura District Magistrate Dr Vishal Kumar, election to which is scheduled on April 19.

The BJP Loksabha candidate Rajya Sabha MP and former Chief Minister of the state Biplab Kumar Deb and by-election candidate Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumder submitted his nomination in the morning with a mega colourful procession.

The rally started from Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan led by Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini, BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma.

Meanwhile, the Congress candidate party’s state President Ashish Kumar Saha led the procession for nomination submission from the same venue in the afternoon along with CPI-M state Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, Congress Working Committee member, and MLA Sudip Roy Barman, and a large number of leaders of both parties.

Surprisingly, former Chief Minister and Politburo member Manik Sarkar was absent in the procession. Despite the announcement former JNU Students’ Union president and Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar did not turn out at the rally, which BJP teased as a reflection of inner conflict in CPI-M and Congress over the INDI Alliance.

“The administration at the last moment canceled our permission to hold the rally, which prevented Kanaiya Kumar from joining the procession. Since the rally was canceled, Kanaiya Kumar postponed his trip but soon he will come for the campaign along with others,” Congress president Saha said.

After the submission of the nomination, Tripura Chief Minister Dr Saha asserted that the opposition trembled to see the unity and support garnered by the coalition of BJP, Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), and TIPRA Motha Party (TMP) and said the profound trust people have vested in Prime Minister Modi, evident from the impressive turnout at the rally.

"Our victory is assured, and it is a victory for Narendra Modi. Though he aimed for 370, we are determined to surpass even 400 seats. There's an aura of Lord Ram's reign among us. Under PM Modi's leadership, we've seen the creation of governance reminiscent of Ram Rajya, and he has urged us to seek blessings from every household," he said.

Confident in the BJP's triumph, Dr Saha hoped for a doubled turnout at tomorrow's nomination filing for the candidate for East Tripura parliamentary constituency Kriti Singh Debbarma in Ambassa of Dhalai District where the election is scheduled on April 26.

Addressing the workers Congress and CPI-M leaders claimed that INDI Alliance would form the next government at the center because the people of the country were fed up with the vendetta politics and undemocratic functioning of the Narendra Modi government.

They alleged that the BJP has been conspiring against the opposition party leaders including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal anticipating the humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and urged people to come out and vote defying all conspiracies, threats, and intimidation to save the democracy in India.