Tripura polls: Congress announces 17 candidates citing 'friendly fight' in four against ally CPI (M)

The "discomfort" within Congress over seat sharing agreement with CPI (M) was out in the open on Saturday when the party announced candidates for 17 constituencies even as the left front agreed for just 13.

The left front on Wednesday announced a list of 47 candidates including 43 from the CPI (M) and said that Congress would contest in the remaining 13 constituencies. The CPI (M) leaders, however, said that Congress had demanded more seats.

The list of 17 candidates were announced by the Congress' Central Election Committee on Saturday. Congress leaders in Tripura, however, said the party accepted the 13 seats but decided to have a "friendly fight" in four seats: Barjala, Majlishpur, Badharghat and Radhakishorepur. The CPI (M) had named their candidates in Barjala and Majlishpur while Badharghat and Radhaishorepur were given to Forward Block and RSP.

Also Read | BJP releases list of 48 candidates for Tripura Assembly polls

According to the Congress list, Sudip Roy Barman, the lone MLA in the 60 member Assembly will contest in the prestigious Agartala seat while Asish Kumar Saha, who switched over from BJP, has been fielded against Chief Minister Manik Saha in Town Bardowali seat. Asish had lost the elections against Saha in the by-polls in June last year.

The CPI (M) and Congress, for the first time in Tripura's political history, had earlier decided to join hands in order to prevent division of the opposition votes with a target to wrest power from BJP and its ally IPFT. But the discussion over seat sharing arrangement reportedly turned soar. They had also invited Tipra Motha led by Pradyot Kishore Deb Barma to join the opposition front but Deb Barma turned down the offer without a written assurance about fulfilling its core demand for a separate Tipraland state for the indigenous Tripuris.

Deb Barma's talks for alliance with BJP also failed over the Tipraland issue.

BJP, meanwhile announced a list of 48 candidates on Saturday. The party is likely to give the remaining 12 seats to its ally IPFT.