CPI(M)’s Manik Sarkar urges comrades to vote for ally Congress in LS Polls

Agartala, Apr 7 (PTI) CPI (M) politburo member Manik Sarkar has urged party workers and supporters to vote for the Congress candidate contesting from the Tripura West constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.Sarkar, a former chief minister of the state, made the statement following persistent criticism by Chief Minister Manik Saha and BJP candidate for the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat, Biplab Kumar Deb, during their election campaigns.

Ashish Kumar Saha, the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president, is the INDIA Bloc nominee for the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat and former CPI(M) MLA Rajendra Reang is contesting from the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat as INDIA Bloc candidate. “This election is more important than the Assembly elections. We will not be able to save the state if the change is not made in Delhi. I appeal to the party leaders, workers and supporters to vote for INDIA bloc candidate, Ashish Kumar Saha, in the Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency in Congress symbol,” he said during an election rally on Saturday.

“There shall not be any hesitation to vote in Congress symbol even as you have been casting vote in CPI(M) symbol. If you miss the occasion, you will be detached from society. This is the demand of time to work jointly to defeat the BJP,” Sarkar said. Claiming that the Congress leaders, workers and supporters will also vote for the CPI(M) in Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency, Sarkar said the CPI(M) has already published a booklet urging the people to vote for INDIA bloc candidate Ashish Kumar Saha.

The distribution of the booklet has already begun, he said. “If Congress leaders, workers and supporters can vote for CPI(M) candidates, why will the comrades not do it to save the country? Reach out to the voters with folding hands to vote for INDIA bloc candidates in the Lok Sabha elections,” he added.