Tripura to witness star studded by-election campaign

From A Correspondent

Agartala, Nov 3 : Campaigning for the by-election of two assembly constituencies,

Barjala and Khowai, is going to be a star studded affair as the Bharatiya Jata Party and the Trimool Congress is going to field several actors and actresses in addition to their senior leaders to attract the voters.

However, the ruling CPI(M) is not going for any such gimmick and so far doesn’t have any plan to bring any leader from outside the state for campaigning. The Chief Minister Manik Sarkar who is also a member of the CPI(M)’s highest policy making body polit bureau is going to be the party’s star campaigner.

The high profile minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sharma is going to be the main campaigner for the BJP in both the constituencies and tentatively is arriving here for a two day visit on November 8. The convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance Mr Sharma also may meet with leaders of the two tribal based regiol parties the INPT and IPFT regarding their future alliance.

Renowned singer and Union minister Babul Supriya and the former filmstar turned parliamentarian Rupa Ganguly is going to add colour to the party’s campaign. The state president of the BJP Biplab Deb filised their meeting after a meeting with the Central leaders at Delhi, party spokesman Mril Kanti Deb said. Two Union ministers are visiting the state next week. They are the ministers of State for agriculture, Sudarshan th and minister of State for Human Resource Development Mahindra th Pande. However, they will not take part in party campaign.

Trimool Congress is also attaching much importance to these by-elections. The All India Vice-President of the party Mukul Roy is arriving here on November 5 after the last date for withdrawal of nomitions are over to filise the campaign strategies.

According to party sources, the renowned film and theatre persolity of Bengal and a minister in the Mamata Banerjee cabinet Brattya Basu is going to arrive here for campaign. Some other film persolities are also expected to come.

Meanwhile, the last date for the filing of nomition has expired on Wednesday and five candidates for each of the constituency have filed their nomitions.

The five candidates for the Barjala (SC) constituency are Jhumu Sarkar of CPI(M), Prakash Das of Trimool Congress, Sistha Mohon Das of the BJP, Rajendra Kumar Das of the Congress and Bimal Das of Amra Bangali has filed their nomitions.

The five candidates filed nomition for the Khowai constituency are Biswajit Datta of CPI(M), Manoj Das of Trimool Congress, Tapan Kumar Pal of the BJP, Prab Biswas of the Congress and Gautam Deb of Amra Bangali.