Tripura: Uncertainty still over Cong candidates

Agartala, Jan 22: Uncertainty loomed large over the nomination of Congress candidates in the upcoming elections to the Tripura assembly, scheduled for February 23.

Meanwhile, senior leaders and party workers expressed resentment over the uncertain situation as even after holding a number of meetings, AICC general secretary Prithviraj Chauan and his deputy Sanjoy Bapna could not finalise the party's aspirants for the coming assembly elections in the state.

Senior party leader Shushil Choudhury alleged that the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders were not interested in winning the elections.

He also opposed the move to forge alliance with the tribal-based Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), saying, ''The move would deprive the tribal front of the party and destabilise the Congress base among the tribal community of the state.'' Mr Choudhury also alleged that TPCC president Samir Ranjan Barman and his followers had been trying to misguide the AICC leadership as well as the party high command about the political reality in the state and the delay in the announcement of the party candidates was having an adverse impact on the supporters.

Meanwhile, TPCC spokesperson Ratan Chakraborty said AICC secretary Sanjoy Bapna had shortlisted the aspirants' names after consulting its leaders and it would be placed before Congress president Sonia Gandhi soon for final decision.

''The first phase of the party aspirants list will be announced within this week after the TPCC election committee's nod to give nomination to all the sitting MLAs,'' he said, adding the impasse over the seat-sharing with the INPT was in its final stage.

In order to break the deadlock, the Congress high command invited INPT leaders to New Delhi to finalise the seat-sharing deal.

The meeting is expected to be held on January 27, Mr Chakraborty informed.

UNI