AGARTALA: The high voltage election campaigns in the state of Tripura came to an end at 4 PM on February 13 as the voters get ready to select their leaders on February 16.
This year’s election is expected to be a battle between three main parties. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the previously ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the newly floated TIPRA Motha.
Several senior members of the Bharatiya Janata Party took part in multiple rallies in different parts of poll-bound Tripura. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were some of the main campaigners for the party in the assembly elections. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath also took part in a few political rallies and so did actor-turned-politician Hema Malini. The President of the Bharatiya Janata Party came to the state to release the election manifesto.
The Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance Motha or TIPRA Motha in short has proven to be a major hindrance in the way of the Bharatiya Janata Party. This new political party was recently floated under the leadership of a member of the royal family of Tripura, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma. Its grand victory in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous Development Council (TTAADC) polls in April 2021 proved that TIPRA Motha is not to be taken lightly in the upcoming elections. With the rights of the indigenous people of the state and the preservation and promotion of their culture as the main agenda, this party has decided to contest in 42 of the assembly seats in the state. Out of these 42, 20 are reserved for the tribal population of the state.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front and Congress, former opponent, have decided to join hands to take down the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state which had replaced a long-term CPIM government in the previous election. They too have not left any stone unturned to campaign to woo voters. Star campaigners including Sitaram Yechury spoke for Manik Sarkar, the ex-chief minister of the state. Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee also took part in election rallies in the state for their candidates.
With election campaigns coming to an end today and voting just two days away, it remains to see whether the public wants to reverent back to the old Communist Party-led left regime, to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party in power for another term or to give the local party TIPRA Motha a chance at the position of power in the state.
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