A major electoral battle is on cards for the June 23 by-polls in Tripura.
Incumbent Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, who replaced Biplab Deb recently, has been fielded from the Town Bordowali assembly seat.
The Chief Minister will be pitted against Congress leader Asish Saha, who had won the 2018 polls on BJP ticket.
In another interesting contest, BJP nominee Dr Ashok Sinha will contest against former minister Sudip Roy Barman from the prestigious Agartala town constituency.
Two other candidates named by BJP for Surma and Jubarajnagar segments are Swapna Das Paul and Malina Debnath respectively.
“BJP considers every election as final, the upcoming by-polls will be an acid test for the ruling dispensation. If our strategy for the by-elections succeeds, we will replicate it in next year’s assembly elections,” said Dr Saha.
Claiming that the BJP has an edge in the by-polls, Dr Saha said feedback from the people has been
very encouraging.
Sources said the decision of the BJP leadership to field two young women candidates for the by-polls shows that the saffron party is keen to garner support from the women voters, especially the younger generation.
Tripura goes to the polls in February-March 2023 along with Meghalaya and Nagaland.
Bordowali constituency in Tripura fell vacant after the resignation of the incumbent BJP MLA Asish Saha. Surma seat had gone vacant as sitting BJP MLA was expelled under the anti-defection law. Jubarajnagar constituency will go to by-polls due to the death of sitting CPI-M MLA Ramendra Debnath.
