INPT announces candidates after talks with Congress fail

The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), a regional tribal party of Tripura, Monday announced candidates for both the Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The INPT decided to declare its candidates after its talks for seat sharing with the opposition Congress failed, party president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl said.

Hrangkhawl, an insurgent turned politician, said INPT leaders met Congress president Rahul Gandhi recently in New Delhi and signed a memorandum of understanding for joint fight against the BJP.

"However, the Tripura Pradesh Congress president gave us a condition that I have to resign as the party president and contest as an independent. This is unacceptable to us," Hrangkhawl told a press conference.

Hrangkhawl and INPT general secretary Jagadish Debbarma would contest from East and West Tripura Lok Sabha constituencies respectively.

The INPT president said his party had also held dialogues with several other regional parties.

Reacting to the development, state Congress president Pradyot Kishore said the INPT wanted to contest East Tripura (ST) seat, "which is not acceptable to us".

"We offered support to the party if it contests independently. I don't think our poll prospects will be affected if they go it alone," he said.

The Congress, and the ruling BJP, are yet to announce their candidates.

Both the Lok Sabha seats in the Northeastern state are now held by the CPI(M) and the party has declared the sitting MPs as its candidates.

Contesting separately, the IPFT, ally of the ruling BJP, announced candidates including state Revenue Minister NC Debbarma, for the two seats.

Tripura will go to vote in two phases on April 11 and 18 for West Tripura and East Tripura Lok Sabha constituencies respectively.