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Political parties in Tripura prep to contest bypolls in 4 assembly seats
The by-polls in these seats have been necessitated after the death of veteran CPM legislator of Yubrajnagar constituency and former assembly speaker Ramendra Chandra Debnath this February and the defection of three BJP legislators to Congress and TMC.
Tripura is all set to witness a tough political battle in the by-elections in four assembly constituencies, the schedule for which is expected to be announced next week.
The by-polls in these seats have been necessitated after the death of veteran CPM legislator of Yubrajnagar constituency and former assembly speaker Ramendra Chandra Debnath this February and the defection of three BJP legislators, Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Kumar Saha and Asish Das to Congress and Trinamool Congress respectively.
Sudip Roy Barman won the Agartala constituency in 2018 on a BJP ticket after which he was given the health portfolio. A year later, he was dropped from chief minister Biplab Deb’s cabinet due to his alleged involvement in anti-party activities. Roy Barman earlier won four times on a Congress ticket.
Asish Kumar Saha won the Bardowali seat in 2018 for the BJP, the party which he had joined along with Roy Barman in 2017. Both of them were with Congress for several years and switched over to Trinamool Congress in 2016 along with four other Congress legislators.
Asish Das won from Surma constituency for the first time on a BJP ticket, but he switched over to Trinamool Congress last year.
Ramendra Chandra Debnath won the Yubrajnagar seat six times since 1993.
The BJP seems confident to win the seats especially, the Yubrajnagar seat and has already finalised candidates.
“We have decided our candidates for the four seats. We will declare their names after the announcement of the schedule for the by-polls. We are confident to win the four seats,” said BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said.
The CPM who lost their veteran legislator, are preparing to give a tough fight in all the four seats. “We are ready to fight. Let’s see,” said CPM state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury.
The Congress, though working to revive its organizational strength in Tripura with the target of replacing the ruling BJP next year, is yet to finalise candidates for the by-polls.
“The party is expected to contest in all the four seats. Currently, the party leaders are busy in selecting candidates,” said a senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity.
The Congress party had failed to secure a single seat in the 2018 Assembly polls.
However, poll experts predicted that the victory in these by-polls would be a morale booster for parties ahead of 2023. “It will be a litmus test for the ruling BJP,” said veteran political analyst C Dey.
