Tripura Congress to contest on all seats in panchayat bypolls

Opposition Congress on Monday announced its decision to stage candidates on all seats from the three-tier panchayat bodies in Tripura which would go to bypolls on September 30 this year. The seats were rendered vacant due to mass resignation of elected public representatives in panchayats bodies since BJP-IPFT coalition government assumed office on March 9.

Addressing a press conference at Pradesh Congress Bhawan in Agartala today, state party chief Birajit Sinha said the Congress has started selecting candidates across all Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad seats which are scheduled to undergo bypolls. The candidate selection process would start at block levels.

“We have declared party in-charges in all blocks of the state. Congress has geared up party machinery for the bypolls,” Sinha told the press conference.

CPI (M) state secretary Bijan Dhar, who is currently in Delhi, said over the telephone, that his party would contest in as many seats as possible in the panchayat bypolls.

“We demand the State Election Commission to ensure free, fair and democratic environment for the bypolls. We shall field candidates in as many seats as possible,” Dhar said.

Earlier on August 20, CPI (M) accused ruling BJP and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) supporters of forcing Left elected public representatives to resign.

Tripura State Election Commissioner GK Rao announced bypolls in 3,207 seats of Gram Panchayats, 161 Panchayat Samiti seats and 18 seats of Zilla Parishad on September 1. 7.8 lakh voters including 4.04 lakh males and 3.8 lakh female voters are eligible to exercise their adult franchise rights in the panchayats bypolls.

On a different issue, the Pradesh Congress president said the party would submit a memorandum to Tripura Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki on September 20 alleging BJP for the Rafale aircraft deal with France.

All India Youth Congress President Keshav Chand Jadav, Vice President BV Srinibash would visit Tripura to join a rally to submit the memorandum.