GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday downplayed the Congress-Left alliance in election-bound Tripura, alluding to a combination of "two zeros."
"Zero and zero is zero. The Congress is zero country-wide while the Communists are zero worldwide. So, for us, there is nothing to be worried about," Sarma told journalists in Agartala, flanked by his Tripura counterpart Manik Saha.
The BJP is facing a challenge this election but the Assam CM exuded confidence the party would better its 2018 results. It had won 36 of the 60 seats in the last election and formed a coalition government with ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) which bagged 8 seats. They forged a pre-poll alliance even this election.
"We will fare better than the last time and we have no doubt about it," Sarma, a master election strategist widely known for his political acumen, said.
He said people would vote for the BJP considering its various development initiatives and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream about India.
"In 2018 (when the Left ruled Tripura), there was an atmosphere of fear. But today, there is peace in the state. People will vote for peace and development to continue," he said.
Saha, who is contesting from the Town Bordowali seat, went to file his nomination after a roadshow. Sarma and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh of the BJP accompanied Saha at the time of his nomination filing. Notably, January 30 was the last day for filing nomination papers.
The BJP has released a list of 40 leaders who will campaign in the state. It has the names of PM Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju, Sarbananda Sonowal, Smriti Irani, Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), N Biren Singh (Manipur) and Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh).
Tripura will go to elections on February 16 and the votes will be counted on March 2.