Former CM Biplab Kumar Deb, state Congress chief Saha file nominations for Tripura West seat

Agartala, March 27 (IANS) Accompanied by the Chief Ministers of Haryana and Tripura, BJP's Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency candidate Biplab Kumar Deb filed his nomination papers on Wednesday - the last date. 

State Congress President Ashish Kumar Saha also filed his nomination from the seat.

Deb, a sitting BJP Rajya Sabha member from Tripura and former Chief Minister, submitted his nomination papers to West Tripura District Magistrate Vishal Kumar.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini, Saini's predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar, BJP Tripura President Rajib Bhattacharjee, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo and royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman also accompanied Deb, who is the BJP in-charge of Haryana.

Wishing good luck to Deb, Saini expressed his confidence that both BJP candidates in Tripura would win.

Chief Minister Saha, while addressing a rally, said: "Today is a happy day. Along with BJP flags, flags of TMP and IPFT are flying together. Truly, it's a significant scene. It is obvious that witnessing this scene, many have started trembling from inside as it signifies the 100 per cent win of the BJP candidate and it is due to our PM."

On the other hand. Congress candidate Saha was accompanied by leaders of the INDIA bloc, including CPI-M Tripura state Secretary Jitendra Choudhury, senior Left leader Pabitra Kar, and Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate.

Saha claimed that Congress leader and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student union President Kanhaiya Kumar, who was scheduled to join campaigning for INDIA alliance candidates in Tripura, was denied permission to participate by the local authorities.

Shrinate said: "We are the INDIA bloc. Call it India or anything else, the name doesn't matter, it is our motherland. Respecting your mother is very important. Those who can't respect mothers are anti-national and people will punish them."

She also said the Congress has found a "strong alliance" among its INDIA partners and said that people would reject the ruling BJP and the party would not be able to cross 200 seats, let alone 400.

Since Wednesday morning, the Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan areas turned into an epicentre of colours and flags as both BJP and its allies and INDIA bloc parties took out colourful processions with thousands of supporters ahead of filing nominations.

Tripura West and Tripura East Parliamentary constituencies would go to elections on May 20 and 26, respectively, in the fifth and sixth phases of the Lok Sabha polls.

--IANS

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