Arun Chaubey
Even though the Left parties are supporting the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, they are the archrivals in Tripura. Congress is focusing on to expose the ruling Left Front on the issues of corruption, nepotism, unemployment and its inept handling of the administration. The Left Front is citing its achievement in the taming of the decades-old tribal insurgency in the state and wooing investments from China, Japan, Germany and Thailand.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who is confident of having the Left Front government in the state for the third time in a row, has expressed that his government has done a lot on the development front through consistent and constant efforts.
"Though the Central government praised the state government over its success in curbing militancy, we are not complacent. We have been keeping our security forces on alert in combating militancy and want a lasting solution," Sarkar, contesting from Dhanpur assembly seat, said in one of his media interviews recently.
He also takes credit in stemming the insurgency saying the number of extremist-related incidents fell from 499 in 2000 to 103 in 2007. Compared to 152 civilians killed in insurgency related violence in 2000, the toll in 2007 was only 20, he said.
Although, the Left is ruling the state since 1998, the anti-incumbency factor does appear to be too strong in the state. The Congress in its campaign is trying hard to highlight the administrative failures of the state government, but has so far failed to make the state defencive on any front. Since the Congress, that has 48 nominated candidates, is not confident to make a dent on its own, it alligned with regional Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura. The INPT is contesting on 11 seats of 20 reserved constituencies for the tribals, the Congress would contest nine.
For the 60-member state assembly polls, there are 313 candidates including 28 women aspirants in the fray. The BJP has fielded 49 candidates and allotted 11 seats to its regional partner, the United Democratic Front (UDF) – a party of the disgruntled tribal leaders of different political parties. The All India Trinamool Congress, which entered into an alliance with the Lok Janashakti Party (LJP), has also fielded 21 candidates.
The ruling CPM has fielded 56 candidates, while its allies – the CPI and the RSP – have put up two candidates each. The rift in the Left Front has widened with the Forward Bloc, which was refused more than one seat by the CPM, decided to quit the ruling alliance, is now contesting 15 seats. "We are no longer in the Left Front. We left it because of the autocratic functioning of the CPI-M, which had virtually established one-party rule within the Front," Forward Bloc state secretary Shymal Roy said.
Since the majority of Tripura’s population comprises Hindu Bengalis, who came as refugees from East Pakistan in 1947, armed conflict here has been a problem due to mass migration of Bengalis from Bangladesh after 1971 Indo-Pak war. The Tripura National Volunteers (TNV), the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) are the groups aiming to drive away the Bengalis. However, the regional ultra outfits are losing their teeth due to a stable government in the state, which has managed to tame the insurgent elements to a great extent.
If we take into account the development and other issues, barring anti-incumbency factor, the opposition parties seem to be on the fringes before the ruling alliance, which is almost confident of once again winning the state assembly polls.
