Tripura polls: BJP banks on woman power to breach ‘red fort’ 

Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik’s supporters are optimistic with former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar deciding not to contest his pet Dhanpur seat, a CPI(M) stronghold since 1972 

DHANPUR (TRIPURA)

The BJP is banking on Tripura’s first Union Minister, one of its 12 women candidates, to breach a ‘red fort’ that has been impregnable since 1972. 

Unlike four other seats where Muslims are a deciding factor, the CPI(M) has never lost the Dhanpur Assembly seat bordering Bangladesh. It eventually became an iconic constituency, represented five times by four-time Chief Minister Manik Sarkar from 1998 to 2018. 

The other four constituencies where the Muslim votes matter the most are the adjoining Sonamura, Boxanagar, Kailashahar and Bishalgarh. 

Mr. Sarkar opted out of the race this time to “convey the message that the CPI(M) has space for new faces, newer ideas”. 

His absence has made the BJP supporters optimistic that their candidate and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Pratima Bhoumik would get past the CPI(M)’s Kaushik Chanda. The contest is largely seen as bipolar although the TIPRA Motha has fielded Amiya Dayal Noatia, a tribal, and the Trinamool Congress has set up Habil Miah. Two Independents are in the fray too. 

“ Didi [Ms. Bhoumik] did the unthinkable by reducing Manik babu’s vote share in 2018. She will do the unthinkable again by winning Dhanpur,” Chanchal Das, a resident on the banks of the Gomati said.