Tripura: BJP declares first list of candidates for 48 seats, ex-CM dropped

Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Pratima Bhowmik, Tripura social welfare and social education minister Santana Chakma, chief whip of assembly Kalyani Roy, and legislators Malina Debnath and Swapna Das Pal are among the women candidates

The Tripura Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday released the candidates’ list for the upcoming state assembly elections scheduled to be held next month.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra (Twitter/@BJP4India)

Of the total 60 assembly seats, the BJP unveiled the first list of 48 candidates.

“We have declared candidates for 48 seats today. The rest candidates’ names will be declared soon,” said BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra after announcing the candidates’ list from BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

According to the list, chief minister Manik Saha would contest from his home turf in Town Bardowali. BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee was fielded from the Banamalipur constituency. Former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who won the 2018 assembly polls, was not included in the list.

Deputy chief minister Jishnu Devvarma, education and law minister Ratan Lal Nath, tribal welfare minister Rampada Jamatia, transport minister Pranajit Singha Roy, information and cultural affairs minister Sushanta Chowdhury, food minister Manoj Kanti Deb, SC welfare minister Bhagaban Chandra Das, including few legislators - Krishnadhan Das, Dilip Kumar Das, Ratan Chakraborty, Surajit Datta, Rebati Mohan Das and others would contest from their constituencies.

Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Pratima Bhowmik, Tripura social welfare and social education minister Santana Chakma, chief whip of assembly Kalyani Roy, and legislators Malina Debnath and Swapna Das Pal are among the women candidates.

The list also included 11 new women candidates.

Taking to Twitter, the chief minister congratulated the nominated candidates. “Heartiest congratulations to all for being nominated as BJP candidate for the ensuing assembly elections,” CM Saha wrote.

The state assembly election is scheduled to be held on 16 February 2023 to elect all 60 members of the Tripura Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes will take place on March 2.

Meanwhile, ahead of the polls, CPM MLA Moboshar Ali and former MLA Subal Bhowmik joined the BJP on Friday in presence of CM Saha, state in-charge Dr Mahesh Sharma and other party leaders.

The BJP won 36 of the state’s 60 seats in 2018, with its ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) 8, Communist Party India (Marxist) 15 and Congress 1.