Agartala: Jan 08: With less than two months for Tripura to go for the assembly election, the main opposition CPIM in the state though did not disclose if it is going for any pre-poll alliance with its once main rival Congress but hinted at it is in discussion with all non-ruling parties in order to stop ruling BJP from rigging and violence during the election.
Speaking to reporters in Agartala’s Vivekananda Stadium after the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) public rally here Sunday two top CPIM leaders – politburo member and Opposition Leader Manik Sarkar and former MP and the party’s state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury said that the initiative taken to restore democracy and peace by uniting the secular democratic parties against BJP has been successful and together these parties shall resist the ruling party if it repeats the techniques of using violence and rigging vote to win the general election and what it has been practising during the past 58 months in Tripura.
The CPIM leadership apprehended that the BJP may even misuse the Election Commission, police and central paramilitary forces which shall be used during elections and so urged the people of the state to resist and be determined that they will come forward to fight for exercising their voting rights.
Former CM and present Opposition Leader Manik Sarkar said, “In order to stop violence and re establish democracy and a peace atmosphere we have tried to bring together the secular democratic forces and unite the people. After several months effort such an appeal could be kept and those (parties) whom we tried to bring together, we did not get all of them but majority of them have responded positively. However, the vote factor and number of seats was not that important at that moment of time, rather it was to bring back democracy and secularism here. This is the present situation and now all are busy with their party’s ideology and working in the ground.”
When asked if Communists and Congress are coming together against the BJP here he said, “Though right now nothing can be said specifically because in politics nothing is final, largely it will depends on the demand of the situation and what are the possibilities as our talks are continuing.”
Sarkar claimed that the vote share of BJP alliance which was 50 percent in the 2018 has much gone down at present and large section of the tribal population besides the Congress and TMC supporters and leaders who had then joined them against the CPIM led government are no more with them at present.
He added: “Majority of the people here are against the government and annoyed. In last election they (BJP-IPFT) got only 50 percent vote. BJP’s vote share is just five percent and the remaining vote is of anti-Left. At present majority of the tribal voters have shifted from them and the non-tribal including the leaders of Congress and Trinamool who had then joined have left them so now BJP is getting isolated.“
The CPIM politburo member apprehended that to win election BJP is again make false poll promises to fool the people beside there is every possibility of misuse the security forces and even the Election Commission but this time it will not be easy for the ruling party as people of the state no more believe them and are prepared to resist violence and make sure to cast their ballots.
Sarkar said, “In such a situation their strategy is again false promises in a new way, capturing the media with money power and last violence. They may even use the Election Commission, police and security forces. We have only one appeal that if the people here get united then no force can stop them. So if people are committed towards exercising their voting rights and brave enough then no force can stop them. So the main issue is to unite the people. Leaders of few parties sitting together and discussing is important but it is not the last measure, rather the most important factor is to bring together the people.”
Meanwhile, CPIM state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury said, “To stop BJP from its vote robbery and manipulating the election, all the opposition political parties have taken the decision and in each and every booth there shall be resistance against BJP. So that unity and decision has been finalised. Alliance will come later but to check BJP from manipulating and highjacking the vote and rigging elections it has already been decided.”
All opposition parties including the Left Front allies – CPIM, CPI, Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Congress and Trinamool Congress parties had earlier expressed concern over the impartial role of Election Commission from their experience of last few elections since 2018.
