The seat-sharing arrangement between the Left and Congress in Tripura would make no difference in the Assembly elections on February 16 and BJP would get more seats than 2018, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said while addressing two rallies on Wednesday.
"The CPI(M) and Congress-ruled Tripura for more than 25 years but they kept the state in an atmosphere of fear and in poverty and corruption. There was an insurgency and a sense of insecurity. But after coming to power in 2018, the BJP government brought peace and strengthened law and order. We established good governance. This year, I see more enthusiasm among people and so we will get more seats this time," Singh said while campaigning for BJP candidate Sapna Majumdar at Rajnagar in South Tripura.
"The international airport is ready, highways have been constructed, internet service improved and ended corruption," he said in another rally at Barjala in West Tripura. "People don't want those dreadful days to come back and so will vote against the CPI(M)-Congress candidates."
Singh's comments come at a time the Opposition left and Congress termed their seat-sharing arrangement as "historic" and has set a target to wrest power from BJP, the way BJP had done in 2018. The left and Congress have joined hands in Tripura for the first time. BJP faces the challenge from left-Congress combine on one hand and Tipra Motha on the other, which is contesting the polls alone on its demand for "Greater Tipraland."
As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the left parties have put up candidates in 48 constituencies while Congress is contesting in 13. Tipra Motha, the regional party has put up candidates in 42 seats. Motha rejected offers for alliance from both BJP and left Congress on Tipraland demand.
BJP is contesting in 55 seats and its ally IPFT in the remaining five. In 2018, BJP had won 35 seats and IPFT bagged eight.
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