BJP's election committee meets to finalise candidates' names for Tripura polls

The Central Election Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party met on Friday to decide on candidates in Tripura, deciding to go alone in the 60-member assembly that heads to the polls on February 27. During the meeting, members of the party’s top election body also discussed election matters in poll-going Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president J P Nadda, union home minister Amit Shah, union defence minister Rajnath Singh, Tripura CM Manik Saha, deputy CM Jishu Debbarman, state unit president Rajiv Bhattacharjee, party in-charge Mahesh Sharma, Northeast convenor Sambit Patra, former chief minister Biplab Deb, and union minister Pratima Bhoumik were among those who were present.

The names of the candidates for BJP will be released within a week, said party leaders.

Sources said that the BJP has been attempting to woo Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, but a social media post sent out by the royal indicated that he will not be headed for any alliance with any national party.

“No alliance - my heart does not agree and so I have made up my mind that I cannot accept New Delhi’s offer. I might win or I might lose, but we will put up a fight. I cant betray our cause and our people,” he posted.

The scion of the royal household has been demanding a Greater Tipraland for the Tipra people and had recently said that he had been indicated by the union home ministry asking him to come to the table to talk. This led to speculation that he met Shah as well as Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, though Sharma has denied it.

Alliance talks have been ongoing between the Left and the Congress as well, and they, too, have approached Debbarman for a grand alliance.