By Firstdespatch Desk Sep 03, 2024
Agartala, Sep 3 (FD) A rift within the INDIA Bloc in Tripura came to open, when the opposition Congress legislators boycotted the election for the Rajyasabha here today.
Former Congress President and the incumbent MLA, Sudip Roy Barman criticized the opposition CPI-M for unilaterally selecting candidate for the Rajyasabha election.
“We were not consulted before selecting the candidate for the Rajyasabha elections. When an unprecedented reign of terror was let loose by the ruling BJP before the recently held three-tier panchayat elections in the state, we could boycott the Rajyasabha elections jointly showing the reason of terror. But they erected the candidate even without consulting us”, Barman told reporters here today.
The President of the Tripura unit of ruling BJP, Rajib Bhattacharjee contested the election against CPI-M nominee, Sudhan Das.
The Secretary of the Tripura unit of CPI-M and leader of the opposition, Jitendra Chowdhury, criticized Congress for abstaining from the vote.
“Congress vociferously announces across the country that they are against the BJP, but in Tripura, they did not ask their legislators to vote for the Rajya Sabha seat. This is really shocking”, he told reporters.
In the 60-member assembly, BJP has 33 MLAs and its ally Tipra Motha has 13 and another ruling partner IPFT has one MLA. Opposition, CPI (M) has 10 MLAs and Congress has three legislators.
Tripura Chief Minister, Dr Manik Saha told reporters that BJP candidate’s victory is assured as all the 47 ruling members of the assembly have voted for BJP candidate.
Meanwhile, the Returning officer of the RS election in Tripura, Usha Jen Mog told reporters that Rajib Bhattacharya has secured 47 votes, when Sudhan Das of CPI-M has secured only ten votes.
“Counting was completed. I will hand over the certificate in due course of time".
The Rajyasabha seat fell vacant as the incumbent MP from Rajyasabha, Biplab Kumar Deb contested in the loksabha elections and won it by huge merging. FD JK