NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janta Party is bracing itself for a tough election in Tripura, as it feels threatened by the ruling CPM. This is the first time Narendra Modi's party will directly challenge dominance of the Left in India. The Community Party of India, led by Manik Sarkar, has secured four consecutive wins in the states, giving it an edge in the 'Battle Royale for the North East'.
BJP General Secretary in-charge of the North East, Ram Madhav said, “CPM leaders have called this elections Mahabharata and even the Battle of Waterloo. Yes, this will be the Battle Royale for us and we will form the government with a comfortable majority in the state.” Last election's Modi wave did little to deter the CPM from polling close to 12 Lakh votes in Tripura, while the BJP closed in less than 2 Lakh votes. This year, the national party will not announce a CM candidate in Tripura. Modi will himself spearhead the campaign and hold two rallies.
The party is also in talks with some tribal parties for a pre-poll alliance in the state. “Without compromising on the territorial integrity of Tripura, we are willing to discuss issues and strike alliance with regional parties,” Madhav said. The Tripura campaign will be flagged-off by Home Minister Rajnath Singh from Agartala next week. The Election Commission had last week announced elections to 60 Assembly seats in the state to be held next month, along with two fellow Northeastern states, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
