Tripura BJP candidate Biplab Deb dares victims of CPIM-Cong 'excesses' to votes for joint candidate

Agartala (Tripura) [India], April 2 (ANI): Former Tripura CM and BJP candidate for West Tripura parliamentary constituency, Biplab Kumar Deb, dared leaders of the CPI(M), who lost their dear ones due to the prolonged rivalry between the Left and the Congress, to cast their votes in favour of the INDIA candidate pitted against him.
The Congress and the Left, who are partners in the INDIA bloc, are fighting the Lok Sabha polls in Tripura as allies.
Addressing a party meeting at Rajnagar in the poll-bound Rajnagar assembly constituency on Monday, Deb said, "Will former CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP, Jharna Das Pal Baidya, cast her vote for the Congress candidate? Her husband Sreedam Pal was killed by goons backed by the Congress. A memorial was also raised in memory of CPI(M) activists who were killed by the Congress leaders at Bir Chandra Manu in the South Tripura district. Today, these two parties have come together and fielded a joint candidate from West Tripura."
Deb also jabbed former CM and CPI(M) Politburo member Manik Sarkar, saying, "Manik Da (Sarkar) is a respected person cutting across political lines. He was the chief minister of Tripura for four terms. Since the beginning of his political career, he had voted for the symbol of CPIM and convinced others to do so. Now, at the age of 75, he is being compelled to vote for the Congress. I dare the CPI(M0 to put him at the forefront of the poll campaign. He will never come forward to campaign for the Congress candidate," said Deb.
Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee President Asish Kumar Saha is the CPIM-backed Congress candidate against Deb from the West Tripura parliamentary constituency.
Saha had served in the BJP for a brief stint before joining the Congress ahead of the 2023 assembly elections. He contested the last assembly elections unsuccessfully against Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha.
Earlier on March 27, Biplab Kumar Deb filed his nomination papers in the presence of Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was also present during the filing of his nomination.
The elections are scheduled to be held in two phases in the state. The West Tripura seat will go to the polls on April 19, while the East Tripura seat will witness voting on April 26. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. (ANI)