Tripura Congress Unveils Candidates for Agartala Municipal Corporation Elections
Congress Announces Candidates for AMC Elections
Agartala Municipal Corporation (Photo: AMC / Meta)
Agartala, Nov 5: The Tripura Congress has declared its candidates for 49 out of the 51 wards in the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) ahead of the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections set for November 27. The party emphasized that there had been no discussions with the CPI(M) regarding a potential joint electoral strategy under the INDIA coalition.
This announcement follows comments made by Jitendra Chaudhury, the Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) state committee secretary, who suggested on November 1 that his party would run in alliance with Congress for the upcoming elections.
Sudip Roy Barman, a Congress MLA, noted that both parties had participated in a joint rally for the INDIA bloc in Agartala on October 30, leading Congress to anticipate discussions about a possible electoral partnership.
However, he accused the CPI(M) of announcing its candidates and submitting nominations without prior consultation with Congress.
Roy Barman mentioned that Congress leaders had traveled to Delhi after the rally and returned on November 1, coinciding with the CPI(M)'s nomination submissions. He reiterated that no formal talks regarding an electoral alliance had occurred between the two parties.
While acknowledging Chaudhury's interest in forming an alliance, Roy Barman indicated that certain external influences and the hesitance of some individuals hindered the proposal from coming to fruition. He asserted that a joint electoral effort would have been more advantageous.
Asish Kumar Saha, president of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee, confirmed that candidates for 49 AMC wards had been finalized, with announcements for the remaining two wards expected soon.
Saha stated that Congress leaders across urban local bodies were actively working to finalize candidates and complete the nomination process.
He also raised concerns about the current election climate, alleging that candidates from the Opposition faced intimidation and obstacles while trying to file their nomination papers in various municipal and nagar panchayat regions.
According to Saha, the Congress has reached out to the state administration and the State Election Commission, requesting sufficient security measures to ensure candidates could submit their nominations without fear of interference.
He referred to the 2021 ULB elections, claiming that widespread violence and irregularities had compromised the electoral process, rendering it a farce.
Saha mentioned that these issues were raised during an all-party meeting organized by the State Election Commission and in discussions with the State Election Commissioner. The party sought security for candidates, proposers, and other representatives at nomination centers.
In a related development, the BJP announced 45 candidates for the upcoming AMC elections on Tuesday, notably excluding sitting Mayor Dipak Majumder, who also serves as the MLA for the Ramnagar Assembly constituency.
Abhishek Debroy, the BJP state president, stated that the party's core committee finalized the candidates after receiving approval from the central leadership. The remaining six candidates for the AMC's 51 wards will be announced later.
Debroy explained the decision to drop Majumder by stating that the party adhered to its principle of 'one leader, one post.'