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Eye on bypolls, Tripura opposition steps up attacks on BJP
Four assembly segments, Agartala, Town Bordowali in West District, Yubrajnagar in North District and Surma in Dhalai District are due to vote on June 23.
AGARTALA:Tripura’s opposition parties have launched a sharp offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government ahead of by-elections on four seats, accusing the state government of failing to fulfil promises made four years ago when the party was voted to power..
Four assembly segments, Agartala, Town Bordowali in West District, Yubrajnagar in North District and Surma in Dhalai District are due to vote on June 23.
The polls were necessitated due to the exit of three BJP legislators, Sudip Roy Barman, Asish Kumar Saha and Asish Das and the death of CPM legislator and former assembly speaker Ramendra Chandra Nath.
The BJP took a swipe at the opposition parties, saying they were in the race for the second spot in the bypolls. “People know that we have fulfilled more than what we had promised before. They will reply through their voting,“ said BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist and its youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India ( DYFI) have stepped up their criticism of the government over multiple issues including unemployment among the youth.
“People have seen the misrule of the BJP-IPFT government. Only the Left Front can restore peace and democracy in the state,” said CPM secretary Jitendra Chaudhury.
After losing power in 2018, the CPM focused on regaining lost ground through mass movements and strengthening the youth wing.
The Congress, which failed to secure a single seat in the 2018 polls, is resting its hopes on Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Kumar Saha, the two former legislators who were elected on a BJP ticket in the last election, and joined the Congress in February. Barman and Saha are the Congress candidates from Agartala and Town Bordowali.
As part of their campaign, the Congress unveiled a 13-point charge sheet against the Manik Saha government that focuses on the promises made by BJP in 2018.
“I appeal to people to judge what the BJP government did in past four years. If they actually did development for people, then you please vote for them. If the statistics say that they failed to fulfil their promises, then they should not get a single vote,” said Congress candidate Asish Saha who is pitted against chief minister Manik Saha from Town Bordowali segment.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has also released a short documentary titled ‘ Tripura Files’ to highlight the alleged misrule of the saffron party and the erstwhile Left Front regime.
The first part of the movie titled ‘Thirsty Tripura’ highlighted the scarcity of drinking water in the state.
“The Trinamool Congress will win all the four seats in the by-polls and next year, the state will see Trinamool Congress-led government in power, “ said TMC Tripura unit president Subal Bhowmik.
