As the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced the first list of 48 candidates for the Tripura Assembly election on Saturday, one name that did not come as a surprise was that of Union Minister of State Pratima Bhoumik, who will contest from her home Dhanpur constituency. Ms.Bhoumik, who is expected to play a major role in the BJP’s campaign, has a reputation for being a party loyalist who has never switched sides in a State where party-hopping is not all that uncommon.
She was among the leaders who rallied BJP supporters when the decades-old Left Front government was on its last legs prior to the 2018 election. Despite her long association with the Sangh Parivar, ‘Didi’, as she is popularly known, is seen as sympathetic towards Muslims and tribal people, who constitute a large part of the electorate in her home district of Sepahijala, which borders Bangladesh. This is one of three districts in Tripura with a greater concentration of Muslims. The party consulted with the influential leader before selecting Tofajjal Hussain for the Boxanagar constituency in Sepahijala. He is the only other leader from the Muslim community after Moboshar Ali, a CPI(M) defector who will contest the Kailashahar seat, to feature on the BJP list released on Saturday.
Ms. Bhowmik contested the 2018 Assembly election from Dhanpur but lost to former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. With Mr. Sarkar not contesting the February 16 election and with CPI(M) nominating a new face in Dhanpur, the Union Minister enjoys an edge, political observers say.
Ms. Bhoumik’s supporters celebrated her nomination and several demanded that she be made the Chief Minister candidate. But this is unlikely to happen as the party leadership seems intent on continuing with Manik Saha as Chief Minister if the BJP wins the election. Dr. Saha will contest from the Town Bordowali constituency.
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Another surprise was BJP strongman and Minister Ram Prasad Paul not finding a place on the first list. Rumours are doing the rounds that the party will pitch his name against former Minister Sudip Roy Barman of the Congress in the 6Agartala constituency. However, former Trinamool Congress State chief Subal Bhowmik, who joined the BJP on Friday, is reportedly being considered for the seat.
Another feature of the BJP’s first list is the presence of septuagenarian leaders like Ratan Lal Nath, Ratan Chakraborty, and Rebati Mohan Das. Sources said it is to block their return to the Congress.
