Ahead of polls, Mamata likely to visit Tripura in February

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is likely to tour Tripura on February 6 and 7 and begin her election campaign. Banerjee is expected to offer puja at Tripura Sundari Temple on February 6 and hold an election rally the next day.

The Election Commission last Wednesday had announced the schedule for the Assembly election in the north-eastern state. Tripura, where the BJP is currently in power, will go to polls on February 16. The counting of votes will take place on March 2. The incumbent BJP will face a triangular contest against the Left and Congress (who will contest the polls jointly) and the Trinamool Congress. Tripura will have 3,328 polling stations across the state.

Political observers believe that the Trinamool Congress may emerge as a formidable opponent this year. It was learnt that the Trinamool chief will hold a massive rally in Tripura on February 7. National general secretary of Trinamool Congress Abhishek Banerjee is expected to visit Tripura at the beginning of February ahead of the party supremo to chalk out various plans regarding the campaign of the party.

The BJP-Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance swept the 2018 Tripura Assembly polls, winning a two-thirds majority in the 60-member House ending the 25-year-long Left rule in the state. But this time, the Trinamool Congress may put a challenge before the ruling party as the support base of the latter has been eroding for the past few years, said political experts.

Trinamool Congress sources said the party may fight the election alone and a list of 120 probable candidates has been submitted to the party leadership out of which 60 will be nominated for the election by the party. Abhishek held a meeting with the Tripura leadership in Kolkata on Friday to chalk out plans.

Incidentally, Abhishek is scheduled to visit Meghalaya on January 24 to publish the election manifesto. Trinamool Congress supremo last Wednesday held a massive rally in Meghalaya and challenged the NPP-led government and its ally BJP to come out with a report card giving details of what they have done in the past five years. She also called for the ouster of ‘proxy BJP’ and corrupt government.

The Trinamool chief on Saturday greeted the people of Meghalaya and Tripura on its 51st Statehood Day. She tweeted: “Today, we commemorate the hill state movement and seek inspiration from the sacrifices made by the founding fathers of Meghalaya.” She further tweeted: “Tripura, a land of enchanting beauty, represents the diverse culture and distinctive traditions of our northeast. My best wishes to the residents of the state for a thriving and prosperous future.”