Politics / Tripura

AGARTALA, Feb 4? As expected People?s Democratic Front, a political party formed by former CPM leaders who decided to extend support to the ruling Left Front like the previous years, in the Assembly polls. At the initial stage the PDF also held discussions on the joining the Left Front and sought a share of seats in the Assembly polls. The Left Front did not concede the demand and asked the PDF to support their candidates. As their demand was rejected outright the PDF ten toyed with the idea of fielding their own candidates in at least two constituencies. But at last keeping in mind its own...

Agartala, Feb. 3: A group of Borok National Council of Tripura militants last night abducted 16 non-tribals from Emrapasha area under Kumarghat police station of north Tripura district. Four of the hostages managed to escape from near the Bangladesh border.

Already, 37 persons have been killed in militancy-related violence this year in the run-up to the February 26 Assembly elections.

Police sources said members of jatra party (folk theatre group) were rehearsing a play in a house at Emrapasha at 11 pm when a group of 15 armed militants abducted all of them. They have been identified as...

Agartala, Feb. 2: The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) has changed its candidates for three constituencies because of a revolt by a section of party members, some of whom had laid siege to the residences of president Bijay Kumar Hrangkhawl and general secretary Rabindra Debbarma.

Hrangkhawl today announced that Ranakusum Reang, who was supposed to contest the Shantir Bazar seat of South Tripura, had been replaced by veteran politician Gaurishankar Reang.

The second candidate to be sidelined is Ajit Debbarma, who was to have represented the INPT in Salema constituency of Dhalai...

Agartala, Feb. 1: For the first time in Tripura?s electoral history, security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations have been dragged into a major controversy by political parties.

PCC chief Birajit Sinha, who took the help of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura and its president Bijay Kumar Hrangkhwal in garnering the president?s post after losing a party election to it, is toeing the INPT?s line on nearly all issues, particularly relating to deployment of forces.

During the past decade, militant outfits have always been opposed to the deployment of Tripura State Rifles...

AGARTALA, Feb 1? The electoral process for the Assembly elections in Tripura began on Friday with the issuance of notification by the Election Commission for the February 26 polls in the state. The last date for filing of nominations in February 7, the papers would be scrutinised on February 8 and withdrawal of nomination papers can be made until February 10, the notification said.

The polling for constitution of a new 60-member House would begin at 0700 hours and end at 1600 hours on February 26 and the counting of the ballots would take place on March 1. The term of the present Tripura...

Jan. 31: The Trinamul Congress today announced a pre-poll alliance with the BJP in Tripura, where the party?s set-up had come crumbling down due to a series of desertions.

The state goes to the polls on February 26.

Formalising the tie-up in Calcutta today, Trinamul chairperson Mamata Banerjee said: ?Our party and the BJP have decided not to field candidates against one another.?

While Trinamul Congress will contest in 35 segments, the BJP will put up nominees in the rest 25 seats in the 60-member House.

Talks between Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee and BJP president Venkaiah Naidu earlier...

Agartala, Jan. 30: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is all set to play a significant role in the coming Assembly elections in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland.

The party will contest all 60 seats in Meghalaya, seven in Nagaland and in 16 of the 60 seats in Tripura.

In Tripura, the party has got a boost with four senior leaders of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura joining the NCP today.

Announcing this at a news conference here, NCP general secretary P.A. Sangma today said in the ensuing elections in Nagaland, the NCP would support the Nagaland People?s Front (NPF) against the...

AGARTALA, Jan 30? Reports of sporadic clashes between political rivals are pouring in from various parts of the State as the poll fever grips the State. There were at least three fierce pitched battles between the ruling CPM cadres and Opposition cadres in West and Dhalai district. While two persons were injured one hut was also set afire by the miscreants. Police sources said, all measures are being ensured to prevent such fall-out and appeals were made to the political leaders to restrain their workers from going violent.

The District Magistrates (DMs) four districts of the State are also...

AGARTALA, Jan 28 ? Amid the security alert sounded through out the State following the massacre of 11 villagers by the insurgents of banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) at Mandai Chowmahani village in West Tripura district on Sunday, a massive search operation is on in the area, reports PTI.

Police said the SP (West), Anurag Dhyankar is camping in the area following the brutal killing in which eleven people, including five women and children, were killed. Police said two persons were interrogated yesterday and one Sushil Debbarma was arrested today in connection with the...

Jirania (West Tripura), Jan. 27: Young Kanu Roy and his bride Mayarani had managed to escape death in the infamous Mandai massacre on June 8, 1980. But bullets separated them last night when a volley of gunfire felled Kanu.

In terror-stricken Mistripara village, where rebels gunned down 11 and injured several others on a night of mayhem, the only sign of life was the wail of people who had lost their near and dear ones.

Settled on government land in Mistripara area under Bankimnagar gaon panchayat under a special rehabilitation scheme, Kanu took to pulling rickshaws for a living and had...