Lok Sabha polls: Congress names state chief Ashish Kumar Saha from Tripura West, to contest against ex-CM Biplab Kumar Deb

A veteran Congress leader, Saha won the 2013 Assembly polls on a Congress ticket from Bardowali Assembly seat. He later shifted to Trinamool Congress in 2016. After a year, he switched to the BJP and won the 2018 Assembly polls from Bardowali. Ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, Saha resigned as MLA and returned to the Congress. In the 2023 Assembly polls, he contested against Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha but lost the elections.

Saha was made president of the Congress in place of Birajit Sinha nearly a year ago.

As part of the INDIA Opposition bloc, the Congress will contest the Lok Sabha polls with the CPM. With the Congress announcing its candidate in the West seat, the CPM will likely field a candidate in the Tripura East constituency, a seat reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, Saha said, “We were trying to strengthen the INDIA alliance. We appealed to those who were in the Opposition in Tripura. Congress has always spoken and worked for the development of the tribals of Tripura. We tried to impress upon them (TIPRA Motha) that Congress will work towards increasing the constitutional authority of the tribals. They have made a decision (to join the government), they are a separate political party and can do so. We and Left parties will go together in the elections.”

Saha also said that as per an understanding between the INDIA alliance partners, Congress and Left Front would divide the seats in Tripura among themselves. “Our candidature was declared in the West Tripura seat and we shall work to make it fruitful here as well. In the East Tripura seat, Left Front candidate will fight, and in future, this alliance will fight for the revival of democracy and save the Constitution,” he said.

Criticising the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Saha said the saffron camp has brought down governments, has not left any stone unturned to disrupt the democratic spirit, was forging alliances with different regional parties despite not honouring them etc.

“This is a result of their desperation. They are speaking of 400-plus seats but they do not have realistic prospects of crossing 200 seats. They have signed an accord with [TIPRA] Motha. But they have never given leeway to any regional party. We are concerned about the future of Motha considering the history of IPFT [Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura]. BJP is well known for going back on its promises. Educated tribals are very conscious and they will consider all aspects before voting,” he said.

Saha said BJP is visibly anxious and claimed Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has created a flicker of hope and it would show its effect in the Lok Sabha elections.

On Biplab Kumar Deb, Saha said, “I shall not comment on Biplab Deb. People know me, they are aware of my political journey. They know Biplab Deb even more. We are hopeful that people will cast their vote considering all aspects, activities of everyone (the candidates), their outlook, administrative history etc.”