Tripura minister Khagendra Jamatia dead

From a correspondent

Agartala, March 2 : Tripura minister for fisheries and co-operative Khagendra Jamatia who is contesting as CPI(M) candidate for the Krishpur constituency in Khowai district has expired at AIIMS Hospital at Delhi last night. With his demise death toll of candidates reached to three since the election process of the Tripura state assembly set on motion on January 24.

The two other candidates expired during this period are Ramendra rayan Debbarma who was contesting as CPI(M) candidate for Charilam constituency and Harish Reang who was contesting as a candidate of a local political party the Tripura Peoples’ Party for Karbook constituency in South Tripura district.  Khagendra Jamatia who had been elected in the state assembly for six times and was seeking reelection fell ill few days back and was shifted to AIIMS where he breathed his last. Apart from three deaths an unusually high number of five candidates had to be shifted to hospital due to illness or suffered injuries during this period. They are CPI(M) candidates Jhar Das Baidya, Jhumu Sarkar, Rita Kar Majumder, Forward Bloc’s Biswath Saha and Surajit Datta of the BJP. Another one Biswajit Datta was declared as CPI(M) candidate for Khowai constituency but fell ill before filing nomition. Subsiquently he was replaced by Nirmal Biswas as party candidate.