With the political temperature soaring, INDIA Bloc candidates – Asish Saha from the West Tripura and Rajendra Reang from East (ST) Tripura Parliamentary constituencies hit campaign trails in the Bagma and Gandachhera-Raishyabari areas respectively on Friday.  

Flanked by the Left leaders, Tripura Pradesh Congress chief Asish Saha visited the Killa market under the Bagma Assembly constituency today. Urging people to vote for the INDIA bloc candidates, he came down heavily on TIPRA Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma for allying with the saffron party.  Saha alleged Debbarma played with the sentiments of the Indigenous people of Tripura by joining hands with the BJP.

In fact, not just in Killa, both the Congress and CPIM leaders while campaigning are repeatedly criticizing and questioning Debbarma’s decision to ally with the BJP.

The INDIA Bloc leaders pointed out some of the slogans of Pradyot Kishore like Thansa (unity) and Constitutional solutions to the issues of the indigenous people and alleged that by allying, Pradyot Kishore betrayed them.   

Meanwhile, Congress and CPIM leaders also held a public meeting in Sonamura in support of Saha’s candidature. Here, leaders mainly focused on ‘saving’ democracy and other economic issues.

While Asish Saha focused more on Pradyot Kishore’s move, Rajendra Reang added the traditional communist arguments and exploitation theories to win over the hearts of Indigenous people.  

Reang campaigned at indigenous-dominated Raishyabari and Gandachhera today, Rajendra Reang held rallies and attended joining programmes.Once, these indigenous-dominated areas were known as invincible red forts.

However, in the run-up to the 2018 Assembly polls, Leftists lost ground in those ST-dominated areas to IPFT and later, the TMP pocketed the support of the indigenous people. In a desperate bid to gain the lost grounds, Reang and other CPIM leaders are emphasizing leftists’ views and policies for the welfare of the indigenous communities ensuring peace.

With Congress having almost no influence among the ST people, Reang is heavily relying on the organizational setup of the CPIM and its frontal organizations in the April 26 LS Polls in the East constituency.
In 2019, Rebati Tripura of BJP won the seat in a multi-corner contest. This time, BJP-IPFT-TMP fielded Kriti Singh Debbarma, the sister of Pradyot Kishore Debbarma.