Tripura is all set for its Assembly Elections 2023. The polling to the 60-member assembly will be held on Thursday.
The northeastern state, where top leaders had stepped up their electoral exertion since the last few days, is gearing up to witness a triangular fight this time, with the BJP-IPFT coalition seeking to retain supremacy, the Left-Congress combine looking to wrest power, and regional outfit Tipra Motha making its debut at the hustings after its stunning performance in the autonomous council polls. Votes will be counted on March 2.
A sum of 28.13 lakh voters will be casting their votes to decide the fate of 259 candidates, including 20 women, in fray.
The BJP is contesting in 55 assembly seats, and its ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has fielded candidates in six constituencies. In one seat, the two parties will be engaged in a friendly fight. The saffron party has fielded the highest number of women candidates at 12.
Here is the list of top candidates who are participating in the upcoming Assembly Elections:
Manik Saha: He is the Chief Minister of Tripura who got the top spot after the central leadership abruptly dropped Biplab Deb. In 2016 the Minister left Congress to join BJP. He was then made the party's state president in 2020. Manik Saha is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a former badminton player.
Sudip Roy Burman: Five-time MLA, Sudip Roy Burman was previously health and family welfare minister of Tripura. He has never lost from the Agartala Assembly constituency since 1998. At present, he is the only Congress-sitting MLA among the three northeastern states who are going to polls this month. He won the 2018 Tripura Assembly polls on a BJP ticket but quit last year to join Congress.
Pratima Bhaumik: She is the Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment who lost to former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar of CPM twice from the Dhanpur constituency.
Jitendra Chaudhury: A top tribal leader and former MP, Jitendra Chaudhury has emerged as the new face of the left in Tripura replacing former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. He was named CPM's Tripura secretary and contesting the Sabroom seat in the 2023 Assembly polls.
Jishnu Dev Dev Varma: Jishnu Dev Varma is the incumbent Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura and a BJP heavyweight. Jishnu Dev Varma has been fielded from his home turf of Charilam (ST) Assembly seat for the 2023 Tripura election.
