Parties use ‘Poila Baisakh’ to connect with people

By Sujit Chakraborty

Agartala, April 15 (IANS) Before campaigning for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections ends on Tuesday, some candidates from Tripura East constituency used the 'Poila Baisakh' (Bengali New Year) on Monday to reach out to the electorate personally.

Tripura Congress President Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Burman, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate Jitendra Chowdhury and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Rebati Tripura interacted with the people on Monday too.

The constituency, reserved for tribals, goes to the polls in the second phase on Thursday and the campaigning will end on 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Tribal leader Rebati Tripura, accompanied by the others, carried out a door-to-door campaign and exchanged new year's greetings with the voters.

Academician-turned-politician Rebati said: "I am a new entrant. So I have no time to relax. I am using my time to expand my relationship with the people."

Deb Burman, a royal scion, told IANS: "Exchanging greetings and campaigning for the elections are going together. This is the best way to maintain social life and personal relationship."

Sitting Lok Sabha member and CPI-M candidate for the Tripura East seat, Jitendra Chowdhury, campaigned in the mountainous Jampui areas, adjoining Mizoram.

"There is a very little time left. So we do not waste our time. Sharing good wishes and campaigning are going on together," Chowdhury told IANS over phone from northern Tripura.

Pragya Deb Burman of Congress said she was busy in exchanging greetings with the people while her brother and state party chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Burman was campaigning in the constituency.

"I have already covered most of the habitations in the constituency," said Pragya Burman, who studied from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (under ISRO) in Dehradun.