Tripura parties welcome poll date

From a correspondent

Agartala, Jan 18: All the major political parties in Tripura have welcomed the announcement of polling dates for the forthcoming State Assembly election.

The poll dates for the Assembly election of the three northeastern States was announced on Thursday.

According to the political parties, they are all set for the ‘battle of ballot’ with the list of candidates and only awaiting the approval of their Central bodies.

The ruling CPI (M) announced the list of candidates immediately after the poll dates was declared. The BJP, which earlier said that they will announce the list immediately after the poll dates is declared, however, failed to keep its promise.

In fact, the BJP is yet to filize its alliance with the tribal based regiol parties – IPFT, INPT and NCT.

The BJP leaders are hopeful of filizing the matter by tonight in a meeting to be held at Guwahati with the IPFT leaders in presence of Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the party’s election in-charge for Tripura.

After the announcement of the poll date the IPFT president rendra Chandra Debbarma said: “ We are on our way to Guwahati to attend the meeting and hope for that we will get some positive response.”

State secretary of the CPI (M) Bijon Dhar welcomed the Election Commission’s announcement and said that they are happy that the attempt to defer the election had foiled.

Regarding announcement of candidates, Dhar said they are going to Delhi on Friday to attend the party’s central committee meeting for getting a fil nod to the list of candidates.

After returning they will first attend the meeting of the CPI(M) State committee and then the Left Front. The list will be announced on January 22, he said. 

The Congress was holding a political conference in presence of two central leaders, the former Union Minister Akhilesh Kumar Singh and Bhupan Bora in Agartala, when the Election Commission announced the poll date. 

President of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee Birajit Sinha welcomed the announcement and urged the commission to ensure a free and fair election.