There is evidently a major shift of the CPM/ Left Front voters in favour of Congress candidate Sudip Roy Barman in 6 Agartala constituency and Asish Saha of 8-Bordowali constituency in the just concluded by polls in comparison to 2018 assembly elections.
This time Roy Barman has bagged Sudip Roy Barman – 17,431 votes while BJP candidate Dr. Ashok Sinha got– 14,268- the difference between the two candidates being 3,163. The CPM candidate Krishna Majumdar got 6,808 votes.
In the last 2018 assembly elections when BJP wave was at its extreme CPM’s Krishna Majumdar had got 17,852 votes-that is 40.03 percent of total votes in her kitty. This time it came down from 17,852 to only 6,808 votes.
So where did these 11,044 CPM electors (17,852-6,808)-vote this time? Of course they did not vote for the BJP. These 11,044 or a major part of the CPM supporting electors this time voted in favour. Congress candidate Sudip Roy Barman. Keep in mind in last assembly elections Congress pooled only 638 votes.
On the other hand BJP candidate Dr Ashok Sinha got 14,268. If in 2018 assembly election’s total votes of BJP 25,234 votes that is 56.59% taken then this time BJP candidate got 10,966 votes less (25,234-14,268).
Similarly in 2018 Forward Bloc candidate in 8-Bordowali constituency Biswanath Saha had got 13,115. This time Forward Bloc candidate Raghunath Sarkar got – 3,376 (3298+ 78 postal ballots). Where then did the 9,739 Left Front supporting electors (13,115-3376) voted this time? Obviously again they did not vote for the BJP and voted for Congress. Keep again in mind in 2018 Congress candidate had got only 1,285 votes while this time Congress candidate Asish Saha got 11,077 ((10,930+147 postal ballots).
Here , however, BJP candidate and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha could sail through with 17,181 (16870+ 311 postal ballots) defeating Congress candidate Asish Saha by a margin of 6,104 votes.
It is not yet clear whether the Left Front had any strategic and undisclosed alliance with the Congress candidates to defeat the BJP. If it was an understanding between the Left Front and Congress then at the final analysis it is highly likely that Left Front will have to pay a huge price for that in Tripura a la West Benngal. And if it was for the Roy Barman and Asish Saha’s personal charishma that they could take away so much votes from the Left Front , then again it would be an ominous sign both for BJP and Left Front too. The assembly elections are only months away.
