CPI-M leader Rajendra Reang, representing the opposition INDIA bloc, submitted his nomination papers for the Tripura East-ST seat on Tuesday.

The primary contest in Tripura East, scheduled for the second phase of elections on April 26, is between Reang and his BJP competitor Kriti Singh Debbarma, a member of Tripura’s former royal family.

Debbarma filed her candidacy on March 28, on the first day of nominations. Following a large rally attended by senior CPI-M, Congress, and other party leaders, Reang, a former CPI-M MLA, submitted his nomination papers to Dhalai District Magistrate Saju Vaheed A on April 2.

Speaking at the gathering in Ambassa, Dhalai district headquarters, Left Front convener Narayan Kar highlighted the sacrifices made by Rajendra Reang’s family, noting that Reang’s father, Sarbajoy Reang, was brutally killed by National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants in 2001.

He emphasized that Reang’s family had endured significant hardships for the betterment of the tribal community.

CPI-M state Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Jitendra Choudhury, emphasized the collaborative efforts of the Left parties and the Congress in their fight against the BJP to safeguard democracy, the constitution, and the unity and integrity of the country. Choudhury criticized the BJP for failing to fulfill its promise of providing two crore jobs annually to unemployed youths, labeling the party as the “most corrupt party in the world.”

Reang expressed his dissatisfaction with the BJP government’s failure to meet the basic needs of the people, particularly those from tribal communities. He believes that the increasing support for the INDIA bloc in the upcoming parliamentary elections will remove of the BJP from power at the Centre.

Congress MLA and CWC member Sudip Roy Barman warned of the current dangers facing the country, accusing the BJP of trying to win the Lok Sabha elections by imprisoning opposition leaders and freezing Congress bank accounts.

Roy Barman, a former minister in the BJP government led by Biplab Kumar Deb, criticized the BJP for focusing solely on a false development agenda and deceiving the people. He expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would secure a substantial majority and come to power at the Centre.