NEW DELHII: The ruling Congress(I) suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Communist Party (Marxist) led leftist front in elections to the Tripura state assembly held early this week. The Congress (I) which ran the state’s administration for five years was reduced to a negligible minority. The Congress (I) returned 10 candidates including its ally, T.U1.S,’s lone seat while one seat went to an independent candidate. All the remaining seals in the 60member house went to the C, P. (M) and its allies.
The Congress (I)’s defeat is being interpreted by political circles as one that will shatter the ruling party’s already low morale in the face of the rising tide of Hindu fundamentalism sponsored by the BJ.P. In the Hindi belt. In other words, while the B.J.P. is showing its increasing presence in the populous Hindi region, in other states the non-Congress (I) and non B.J.P. are a dominant factor.
C.P. (M) general secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet alleged in @ media statement that Congress (I) engineered violence in Belonia area of Tripura killing a policeman belonging to the Assam Armed Police.
Tripura has a large Bengali population which tends to back the C.P. (M) while the local population votes parties other than the C.P. (M). The leftist groups are set to form a government later this week in the small eastern state.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 9, 1993
