Agartala/shillong: The Left Front yesterday retained power in Tripura for the fifth consecutive time, sweeping 50 of the 60 seats and leaving the Congress badly bruised with just 10 seats.
Hundreds of Left activists, mainly from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), celebrated across Tripura as election results left the Congress in gloom. The CPI-M bagged 49 seats while the Communist Party of India (CPI) won one seat. It was the best result for the Left since 1978, when it won a record 56 seats. It increased its 2008 tally by one seat. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya by securing 29 seats in the 60-member assembly, with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma set for a second term.
“The people have responded to us for good governance and development,” a jubilant Sangma, 47, said by phone from Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills. Sangma retained his Ampati constituency for the fifth successive term, defeating his nearest National People’s Party (NPP) rival by more than 9,000 votes. His wife Dikkachi D Shira and his brother Zenith M Sangma were victorious from Mahendraganj and Rangsakona constituency.
The Congress won four more seats than in 2008. “I am glad that the people of Meghalaya reposed faith in the Congress,” Sangma said. “This is a verdict in favour of development, peace and stability besides good governance,” a beaming Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said. “People voted and supported the Left Front for taking up development work and for curbing militancy,” Sarkar said.
Sarkar, 64, who retained his Dhanpur seat in west Tripura, is the only political leader to be chief minister for a record fourth term in Tripura, a Marxist bastion. It was Sarkar’s sixth electoral win.
While the Congress managed to retain its 2008 tally of 10 seats, its ally the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) drew blank. IANS
