Tripura: BJP, IPFT, CPI-M candidates file nominations for LS polls

Agartala: Candidates for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally in Tripura — the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) — filed their nomination papers for the West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency on Friday afternoon.

The BJP central election committee announced the first list of 184 BJP candidates across the country on Thursday evening from Delhi, including the two candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in Mizoram.

While BJP announced its state general secretary Pratima Bhowmick for the West Tripura constituency (general seat), Rabati Kumar Tripura was chosen for East Tripura (reserved).

On Friday, after conducting a massive rally in Agartala in presence of senior leaders, the BJP candidate filed his nomination papers in front of returning officer Sandeep N Mahatme, who is also the west district magistrate.

Talking to media persons, chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb appealed the people to cast their votes in favour of the BJP candidates and support the Modi-led NDA government once again. “NDA will form the government and will definitely get over 400 seats this time in the elections,” he added.

IPFT’s youth wing general secretary Sukla Charan Noatia also submitted his candidature on Friday for the West Tripura constituency after conducting a massive rally in Agartala.

IPFT president and state revenue minister NC Debbarma will also file his nominations for East Tripura in two days.

Talking to the media, Noatia said the state government is a coalition government of BJP and IPFT but in the demand of separate land and the rights of the indigenous people, we have decided to contest on our own in the Lok Sabha elections.

“The competition will be a friendly one in the elections as we are partners in the state government but we will not leave any space for the BJP or any other party when it comes to the general elections 2019,” he said.

On the other hand, CPI-M’s East Tripura candidate Jitendra Choudhury, the sitting MP also filed his nomination before the Dhalai district magistrate’s office in Ambassa on Friday afternoon.

The sitting MP appealed the people of the keep their faith on him and cast their vote against the anti-people’s party in the Centre and state. He also said if not voted to power the BJP government will destroy the country using the religious and dharma agenda.

The CPI-M West Tripura candidate and sitting MP Sankar Prasad Datta filed his candidature on March 19 and the party’s East Tripura candidate did it on Friday.