The Hindu : Tripura poll peaceful

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 27, 2003

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National

Tripura poll peaceful

By Barun Das Gupta

AGARTALA Feb. 26. Polling for the Tripura Assembly passed off peacefully today, barring some stray incidents. Over 60 per cent of the voters cast their votes.

The TPCC general secretary and Congress spokesperson, Nirode Baran Das complained of assaults on party workers and booth-capturing by CPI(M) at different places. At Khayerpur, he said, the Congress had demanded re-election in certain booths allegedly ``captured'' by the CPI(M).

The fate of several political heavyweights is being decided today. Chief among them are the Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar of the CPI(M) and the controversial Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhal, whom the CPI(M) calls a ``deshdrohi'' and father of the insurgency movement in the State. He is the president of the INPT, a poll ally of the Congress.

In the last elections in 1998, Mr. Sarkar had defeated his Congress rival, N.I. Mazumdar by over 3000 votes in his Dhanpur constituency. This time his main rival is Dipak Charavarty of the Congress. There are a BJP candidate and an Independent also in the fray.

Mr. Hrangkhal is contesting from his home constituency of Kulai (ST) where his main rival is Bijoy Debbarma of the CPI(M). Last time, in a four-cornered contest he had defeated Gitkumar Reang of the CPI(M) by a margin of 2122 votes.

The TPCC president, Birajit Sinha is contesting from Kailasahar, where he defeated the CPI(M)'s Tapan Chakrabarty by 927 votes in 1998. This time the CPI(M) has put up Yunus Mian Khadim against him.

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