People's Democracy

TRIPURA

Haripada Das

TRIPURA Left Front emerged victorious in the civic body elections held on December 16. In all the Agartala Municipal Council and 12 Nagar Panchayats, the Left Front secured more than comfortable majority in number of seats. At least in 5 Nagar Panchayats, the opposition, including the Congress, had to draw a blank. In the backdrop of thumping victory of the Left Front in gram panchayat election held last year and ADC election held in March this year, this consecutive victory of the Left Front with the blessing of mostly urban people, is a clear indication that the Left Front could expand its support base to a wide extent including to the urban populace whose problems and aspirations are quite different from that of others.

On the day of counting on December 18, after 8.00 pm onwards, when news of one after another victory in the Nagar Panchayats and Agartala Municipal Council poured in the state committee, and Sadar Divisional committee offices, the crowd burst into cheer and celebrated. At one time a large area of Agartala town has gone under the grab of jubilant but disciplined Left Front supporters applauding with their victorious candidates.

Brief results in count of seats are given below

From the result it reveals that in respect of seats, the Left Front won 86 per cent of the total and in respect of vote share, it is 57 per cent, which is 7 per cent higher than that of the 2000 civic poll.

Flouting all sense of decency and political morality, the Congress this time has openly begged electoral support of the INPT, the political mask of the outlawed NLFT extremists, to face the Left Front in this election, on condition, that the Congress would lend them support in the ensuing village council election. They also allied with PDS, the so called breakaway group from CPI(M) led by Ajoy Biswas. The Congress also had a tacit understanding with the BJP to pose an ‘all in unity’ against Left Front in this election.

Finding no hope to sail the sinking boat to the shore, at the fag end of election campaign period, PCC president Samir Ranjan Barman stooped utterly low in scandalising against the chief minister of the state over unearthing of human skeleton from the septic tank of latter’s government residential complex. This was befittingly refuted by the Left Front workers in the last moment campaign.

On the other hand, Left Front highlighted the developmental activities that the LF government had either completed or are under progress. The Left Front in its campaign assured the urban masses to carry on this developmental works if they reposed trust again. They also pointed out the large scale plundering of government exchequer and mal-administration during the period Congress was in the helm of Agartala Municipal Council in 1995-2000.

Tripura Left Front Committee in a statement hailed the electors of this civic poll for unequivocally reposing trust in the Left Front. This is the positive and strong popular mandate towards the developmental activities undertaken by the Left Front government for all round advancement of the state including the urban areas. This mandate was reflected in the overwhelming turn out of people in the Left Front rallies, the committee stated. On the other hand, this popular verdict is the utter rejection of the unbridled, indecent slanders, lies, manipulations and distortion of facts resorted to by the Congress and opposition parties against the Left Front and the chief minister of the state, it maintained.

The Left Front called upon its workers and supporters to get prepared for another electoral battle and ensure the tradition of Left Front victory in the ensuing village council election which is going to be held for the first time in the state

At the same time, the Left Front reminded its workers and supporters of their greater responsibility to shoulder in the days to come to show true respect to people’s trust bestowed on them.

The Left Front also congratulated the election authority, electoral staff and the security personnel for helping in the conduct of smooth and peaceful, incident-free elections.