E-Paper
Assembly polls: Will CPM be able to revive its position in Tripura?
As per the seat-sharing agreement, the Left fielded 47 candidates with 43 for CPM, one seat each for the Communist Party of India (CPI), Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party (India). The Left Front is also supporting an independent candidate in the Ramnagar constituency against BJP MLA Surajit Datta
With a debacle in the 2018 assembly polls and the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party- Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura [BJP-IPFT] coalition government in the state, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)- led Left Front in Tripura witnessed a setback and has adopted steps to revive its lost foothold in the coming polls on February 16.
CPM ruled Tripura consecutively for over two decades since 1998 before losing to the BJP in 2018, and since then, the party has failed to make its presence in any elections conducted in the state including the Lok Sabha, civic, Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and assembly by-polls.
CPM underwent a huge loss with the demise of two veteran think tanks, Goutam Das and Bijan Dhar, following post-Covid-19 related complications in 2021.
However, ahead of the upcoming assembly polls scheduled for February, the CPM is giving an outlook on its strategy, since former parliamentarian Jitendra Chaudhury took charge of the party.
Also Read: CPI(M) promises ‘no revenge violence’ in Tripura if voted to power
Under his leadership, the CPM began strengthening its youth brigade by introducing nearly 50% of new faces in the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the party.
“People of Tripura have seen unemployment, corruption, fascist attacks, and drugs since BJP formed its government. We are addressing these issues to people,” said DYFI chief Palash Bhowmik.
The party also organised a month-long mass movement throughout the state highlighting alleged deprivation of people in different sectors including food, drinking water, employment, education, health and others, said a veteran CPM leader and former minister Pabitra Kar.
Targeting to dethrone the incumbent government, the Left Front appealed to all democratic and secular forces, including Congress and TIPRA Motha to come together in this assembly election and remove BJP from the power to which the Congress agreed and joined the Left Front in seat-sharing adjustment earlier this week, however, the TIPRA Motha, headed by royal scion Pradyot Kishore, reiterated not to join hands with anyone without getting a written agreement on the party’s ‘Greater Tipraland’ demand.
The TIPRA Motha is currently in power in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
As per the seat-sharing agreement, the Left fielded 47 candidates with 43 for CPM, one seat each for the Communist Party of India (CPI), Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party (India). The Left Front is also supporting an independent candidate in the Ramnagar constituency against BJP MLA Surajit Datta. This time, 24 fresh faces were included while some veteran legislators and former ministers, including former chief minister Manik Sarkar were dropped from the list.
The rest 13 seats were given to Congress.
The Left Front has chosen to ensure 2.5 lakh new employment, re-employment of the retrenched 10,323 school teachers, dearness allowance for the government employees twice a year, re-introduction of the old pension scheme, welfare to farmers, daily-wage workers and political violence affected victims, freedom of the press, more autonomy to the TTAADC and others as the main issues to contest the polls.
Votes for the assembly polls would be counted on March 2.
Also Read:Tripura assembly elections: 259 candidates in fray with BJP fielding 55, CPM 43
When asked about the prospect of the Left-Congress combining in the coming polls, Chaudhury said, “ This is our seat-sharing adjustment with Congress only. We shall put our whole strength to ensure the victory of our candidates. We feel joint campaigns are required which we shall start soon. Moreover, we shall also jointly announce our Common Minimum Programme soon.”
BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said, “The Left Front is the sole responsible for the 10,323 sacked teachers’ fate. They have the faith of people already and that’s why they were thrown out in 2018. The same thing will happen this time.”
Political experts feel that unfulfilled poll promises of the BJP, especially in the case of employment of youths, education, re-employment of 10,323 sacked teachers etc., have paved a way for the need for an alternative government in the state.
Prior to coming to power in 2018, the BJP promised to ensure alternative employment to the 10,323 teachers, but nothing was done so far.
“This poll is vital for the Left to regain their lost foothold in the state. A section of grassroots people are seen in favour of the Left-Congress alliance only to end the BJP rule,” a veteran poll analyst S Bhattacharya said.
