Tripura Congress dissidents revolt ahead of civic polls

AGARTALA - The internal feud in the opposition Congress in Tripura took an ugly turn Thursday when the dissident faction locked the party head office here to protest the nomination of candidates for the Dec 11 civic polls.

Congress spokesman Tapas Dey, describing the action of locking the Congress Bhavan as “strongly condemnable”, said it would benefit the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front before the local bodies’ elections.

A large number of dissident Congress workers, including women, organised protest demonstrations in front of the Congress Bhavan in the heart of the capital city.

Tripura Congress chief Surajit Datta late Wednesday night announced party candidates for the election to the Agartala Municipal Council (AMC) and 15 nagar panchayats (urban councils).

“Without discussions with the party leaders, Datta unilaterally declared the party candidates for the civic polls,” a dissident leader said.

According to media reports, dissident Congress legislators Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Saha had organised the locking of the party headquarters.

“The two party legislators are indirectly helping the ruling Left parties ahead of the local bodies’ polls,” party spokesman Dey stated without naming the Congress MLAs.

The CPI-M-led Left Front, which is in power in the state, controls the AMC and the 15 urban civic bodies.

Meanwhile, the Left Front Monday announced its candidates for the civic polls.

The state Election Commission earlier this week announced elections to the AMC and 15 nagar panchayats (urban councils) on Dec 11. The last date for filing nominations is Nov 23.

A total of 434,512 voters, including 215,412 women, are eligible to elect 230 councillors across the state.