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AMONG the issues like price-hike, loss of livelihood, unemployment, absence of any services in healthcare, education, supply of safe drinking water, electricity and housing etc, most of which are very much acutely prevalent in the state, one core issue has emerged as a crying demand of all sections of people: whether voters of the state would have the opportunity to cast vote by themselves. 

The Election Commission of India has declared the election schedule to the legislative assemblies of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland on January 18, 2023. The date of elections in Tripura has been fixed for February 16 and in Meghalaya and Nagaland, it is on February 27.  

CPI(M)’S SUBMISSION BEFORE ECI

The full team of Election Commission of India has visited Tripura on January 11, 2023. Apart from examining the administrative preparedness for conducting the election, the commission team had separately met all the national and state political parties.  Except the ruling BJP, all the opposition political parties in their submissions pressed upon the ECI in the same tone that, unlike any other state of the country, the situation in Tripura is quite extraordinary and vulnerable where democracy is crucified every day, right to vote is just denied, human rights, fundamental rights are undermined by some bike-ridden gangs of ruling party followers, and the constitution of the country is kept nullified. If the ECI sincerely wants to conduct the election in a free and fair manner, it has to face a big challenge and it is not impossible if the ECI really wants.

CPI(M) in its memorandum highlighted how all the elections including the local bodies elections held during this  brute rule were reduced to complete mockery depriving large number of opposition supporters from exercising their right to franchise; how the police forces under the command of the state government were kept immobilised to render free hand to the perpetrators to manage the entire poll system in their favour and ultimately, how the election in festive mood during Left Front regime has been converted to a frightful event during this BJP-led regime.

To sum up the real situation prevailing in the state, Jitendra Chowdhury, CPI(M) Tripura state secretary requested the ECI team thus: “we don’t insist you to believe in what we narrated in our memorandum. To examine the veracity of our submission, you arrange sending two vehicles with red flags from Agartala, one 15 km towards north and other 15 km towards South. If the vehicles come back undamaged, we would withdraw our claim submitted to you.” The EC assured the CPI(M) delegation that they would take all necessary measures to hold the elections in a free and fair manner. 

INITIATIVES OF THE LEFT DEMOCRATIC FORCES

On January 22, at the united call of the Left and democratic parties of the state, an impressive march with huge participation of people was organised in Agartala  to meet in a mass deputation with the CEO, to press for only one demand: to protect everyone’s vote in the ensuing assembly election. The followers of Left parties, namely CPI(M), CPI, AIFB, RSP, CPI(ML) and Congress with national flags in hand chanted the only slogan “My vote, my right”. All the state level leaders of the opposition parties including Manik Sarkar, Polit Bureau Member of CPI(M), walked with the marchers.

It is a fact that since the formation of CPI, the communist organisations grew in the state through ceaseless movements, firstly against the feudal king and thereafter against the Congress rule both politically and ideologically. But the present semi-fascist rule does not allow any opposition party to pursue their own programmes and policies, having all their offices demolished, ransacked or set on fire. Under such a situation, the need of the hour is a united opposition moves to ensure the defeat of the present repressive rule. To achieve this goal, it is imperative to prevent a split in the anti-BJP vote. 

CPI(M) being the largest opposition party in the state, it  took a lead to open up a dialogue first with the Congress party and then with Tipra Motha led by Pradyut Kishore Debbarman, the last descendent of the state’s royal family. On December 27, the Left parties including CPI(M) and the Congress issued a joint statement condemning the ruling BJP’s anti-democratic semi-fascist rule and made a clarion call  to the peace-loving democratic-minded people of Tripura to spontaneously come forward cutting across political identity, religion, caste and community to raise a united voice of protest against this misrule and come forward to bring an end to this black regime. Tipra Motha president, though verbally expressed its support to the statement, did not sign on it.

This joint call has created a tremendous response and enthusiasm among the masses and they got a ray of hope to get rid of this tortuous rule. In various urban and rural areas, people started organising spontaneous protest marches.

SHARING OF SEATS

Immediately after the announcement of elections, bi-partite discussions between the CPI(M) and the Congress started on sharing of seats.  Agreement on sharing of seats with the Left Front constituents was settled smoothly. It required several rounds of discussion to finalise seat sharing with Congress. CPI(M) being a leading partner of this understanding, showed highest flexibility sparing one of its sitting seats i.e., 53-Kailashahar constituency for the state Congress president Birjit Sinha. It is agreed that out of 60, CPI(M) would contest in 43, Congress 13, CPI, RSP and AIFB one each and in one seat a human rights activist would contest supported by all opposition parties.

This agreement between the Left parties and the Congress to fight a common battle made the ruling BJP very much shaky.  Sensing that the electoral prospects of BJP are gradually diminishing, they started hectic moves to bag Tipra Motha to their fold. But fishy Motha president continued to stick to his one point demand for ‘Greater Tipra Land’ without defining the shape of that demand concretely. Though the Motha president expressly admitted the historic contribution of the communist party in the emancipation of tribal community economically, politically and culturally, and BJP has nothing in this regard, till to date, he prefers to contest the elections independently. In that case, he would ultimately help the BJP by splitting anti-BJP opposition vote. On January 25, Jitendra Chowdhury, CPI(M) state secretary, Narayan Kar, convener of the Left Front  released the list of Left Front candidates in a press conference in the presence of other Left leaders.   

Immediately after the declaration of Left Front candidates the  peace-loving people aspiring to get rid of this brute rule held spontaneous processions hailing the candidates all over the state and resolved to fight to the last to bring back a bright morning in the state.

Even during the period when the model code of conduct is enforced in the state following the announcement of the elections, there is no respite to attacks, arson, and demotion of party offices, physical assault on the opposition supporters, and raid on the houses of opposition supporters. During the period, one SDC office was set on fire, one local committee office was demolished by bulldozer, other two offices were vandalised.  One OC has been suspended and two other police officials have been removed from election duty for their leniency towards the perpetrators and failure to provide security to Ajoy Kumar, a national leader of the Congress who was physically hurt by the miscreants while attending a campaign programme. Being scared of the ECI stricture, the police started taking positive role against the culprits abetted by ruling party in some places.

 BJP’S POLL STRATEGY

BJP has brought more than thousand bikes registered in other states and also many video display vehicles in the state. They are distributing these bikes among their musclemen. BJP workers are going door to door with a report card prepared for every constituency. While distributing this report card, they are being confronted with a bitter question from masses as to why there is no mention about the promises they made in their ‘Vision Document” during 2018 assembly elections. The people now don’t hesitate to blame five years misrule of BJP for the present plight of the people, for the worst condition of village roads, regular disruption in the supply of drinking water, total mismanagement in education, electricity, chaotic condition in health services, scorching price rise, and frustrating rate of unemployment etc.

List of Left Front Candidates for Tripura Legislative Assembly Elections 2023

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