In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tripura, a total of 18 candidates, including two women, are poised to compete for the state’s two parliamentary seats. The primary contest is anticipated between candidates representing the ruling BJP and the INDIA bloc.
The last parliamentary elections in 2019 featured 23 candidates, including three women, with BJP’s Pratima Bhowmik and Rebati Tripura emerging victorious in Tripura West and Tripura East-ST respectively. However, neither of them is contesting this time.
For the Tripura West constituency, slated for polling on April 19, nine candidates are in the fray. Notable contenders include BJP’s former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Congress state President Asish Kumar Saha, who represents the consensus candidate of the INDIA bloc.
In the Tripura East constituency, scheduled for polling on April 26, nine candidates, including two women, are competing. The primary battle is expected between BJP’s Kriti Devi Debbarma and CPI-M’s Rajendra Reang, representing the INDIA bloc.
Most of the candidates, including those from BJP and the INDIA bloc, are first-time contenders in the Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP’s nomination of Kriti Devi Debbarma for the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat stirred controversy. Hailing from Chhattisgarh, she is the elder sister of Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma. Her nomination followed TMP’s agreement with the Union Home Ministry and the Tripura government in March for tribal development, and the party’s subsequent alliance with the BJP-led government on March 7.
Despite the controversy, Chief Minister and senior BJP leaders defended her candidature, emphasizing her ties to Tripura as a member of the erstwhile royal family and the daughter of Maharaj Kirit Bikram Debbarma.
