It remains to be seen how TIPRA Motha Party (TMP) and Congress take the by-polls. Will TMP field candidates and will Congress rally behind CPIM despite resistance from within the party?
The whistle has been blown and Political parties in Tripura are readying up for mini rehearsal prior to the mega showdown in 2024.
The stage is reading up for the mini rehearsal – the by-polls in Tripura on September 5 – and a fierce battle between the ruling BJP and CPIM, the third largest party is on the cards, while the role of the second largest Party, TIPRA Motha Party (TMP) is yet uncertain.
With the announcement of schedules for the by-polls in two Assembly Constituencies in the State – Dhanpur and Boxanagar – discussions over possible candidates of the BJP and CPIM heightened. In Dhanpur Constituency, a by-poll was necessitated after victorious BJP nominee Pratima Bhoumik – she is also a Union Minister of State – resigned even before taking an oath as an MLA. The Boxanagar seat fell vacant after its CPIM MLA Samsul Haque’s demise.
In the 2023 Assembly polls, Pratima Bhoumik of BJP polled 19148 votes (42.25%) and defeated her nearest candidate Kaushik Chanda of CPIM who secured 15648 votes (34.53%). The TMP candidate came third with 8671 votes (19.13%).
The result was different in Boxanagar where CPIM candidate Samsul Haque defeated his nearest BJP candidate Tafajjal Hossain. Haque garnered 19404 votes (50.34%) while Hossain could manage 14555 votes (37.76%). Here also, the third position went to the TIPRA Motha Party candidate who polled 3010 votes (7.81%).
Post-results, the ruling BJP attributed its defeat in Boxanagar to an alleged conspiracy and sabotage orchestrated by a faction of local party leaders. CPIM, on the other hand, attributed its loss in Dhanpur – and in several other seats – to the presence of TMP and the subsequent division of votes, particularly the Indigenous votes.
Coming to Dhanpur, it was a traditional CPIM stronghold and was long represented by ex-Chief Minister Manik Sarkar of CPIM. Amidst the saffron surge in 2018 in the State, Sarkar managed to win from Dhanpur by defeating Pratima Bhoumik. However, this time Sarkar opted out of the contest and passed the baton to newcomer, Kaushik Chanda.
Looking at the figures, it is true that Chanda put up a brave fight against the formidable contestant, Pratima Bhoumik.
Now all the Political parties especially BJP and CPIM are busy picking up candidates. It remains to be seen how TIPRA Motha Party and Congress take the by-polls. Will TMP field candidates and will Congress rally behind CPIM despite resistance from within the party?
As the by-polls are drawing near, the political landscape in Tripura is set to witness intriguing developments that could significantly shape the course of the larger showdown in 2024.