CPI-M still a threat to BJP in Tripura, says CM Manik Saha

AGARTALA: Despite being out of power in Tripura for six years, the CPI-M remains a significant political force in the state, according to chief minister Manik Saha.

He emphasized the CPI-M's enduring support base, harking back to its decades-long rule from 1978 to 2018, he told PTI in an interview.

Saha acknowledged recent losses in key constituencies in Tripura but expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects in upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Saha voiced certainty in the victory of BJP candidates, Biplab Kumar Deb for Tripura West and Kriti Singh Debbarma for Tripura East, in the state's two Lok Sabha seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI-M garnered 17.5% of the votes, which increased to 24.62% during the assembly polls four years later.

Despite forming an alliance with the Congress and contesting 43 seats, the party secured only 11 victories, five fewer than in 2018.

Despite criticism from the opposition, Saha dismissed claims of democracy being under threat under Modi's leadership.