AGARTALA, Jan 21 ? In what can be called as ?Congress syndrome? serious resentment dogs the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura over its candidate selection of the 16 ST seats out of 18 in which it would contest. There are total 20 ST reserved seats in the 60 member Assembly. The INPT has left two seats Pecharthal and Golaghati to its electoral ally Congress.
The INPT announced its list for 16 constituencies on Friday last. The party, despite series of brain storming meetings by its central election committee could not finalise the remaining two seats Jolaibatri and Asharambari in view of too many aspirants. But as soon as the list was announced, there were strong resentment in some seats. For example, INPT nominee for Shantirbazar seat in South Tripura, Rana Kishore Reaning, faced the wrath of his own party activists when on Saturday he went to the constituency to start poll campaign. The INPT workers of the Shantirbazar seat were demanding nomination for local leader Gaurishankar Reang. Yesterday, hundreds of Gaurishankar supporters met veteran leader Shysmacharan Tripura and party?s general secretary Rabindra Debbarma to press for their demand ?nomination for Gaurishankar Reang. Both Tripura and Debbarma remained noncommittal on the demand but assured them that they would look into the matter.
Similar was the case for Animesh Debbarma, an engineer-turned-youth wing, IYFT, leader. He was nominated from the Promodenagar seat in West District where senior party leader Amiya Debbarma was the aspirant. The INPT sought Amiya Debbarma as candidate from Asharambari but he declined. Yesterday when Animesh Debbarama went to his constituency to open a booth office at Gauranga till bazaar, Amiya Debbarama supports held protest demonstration against him. INPT leaders here however do not attach much importance to the prevailing resentment saying that ?this was only a passing phenomenon? and would not affect the party?s poll prospect. They also felt that the party would be able to finalise the candidates for the remaining two seats.