Tripura: Election Commission rejects CPI(M)'s complaint against BJP candidate Moboshar Ali

The Election Commission rejected the CPI(M)'s complaint against its MLA Mabashar Ali, who is the BJP's Kailashahar candidate in the upcoming assembly election.

In a letter to the returning officer of Kailashahar assembly, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Choudhury on January 31 sought Ali's disqualification as the BJP candidate. 

"As Moboshar Ali neither resigned from the Assembly nor from the party, in no circumstances, he may be treated as a candidate of the BJP. Hence, he may be disqualified for being a BJP candidate for want of statutory legal requirement," Choudhury said in the letter. 

After receiving the letter, returning officer Pradip Sarkar examined Ali's nomination and found his papers are in order and rejected the complaint. 

Also Read: Tripura CM confident of forming government again in 2023

Chief Electoral Officer Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao told the media, "The EC received a complaint against Mabashar Ali. The returning officer examined his Form A and B and found his nomination is in order. The decision has already been communicated to the CPI(M) state secretary." 

Ali who won the 2018 elections as a CPI(M) candidate by defeating Sinha, joined the ruling BJP, which nominated him for the seat while the Congress party has fielded its state president Birajit Sinha from the prestigious seat in Unakoti district. 

Tripura will vote in the assembly elections on February 16, and the votes will be counted on March 2.

Earlier the CPIM state committee secretary said, “We have also heard about the news and we inquired about it which came out as true. This is very unfortunate that Moboshar Ali who was an active leader of CPIM and had served as MLA has joined the BJP. Because of the current political situation and to save the democracy we had a seat adjustment with Congress and after consulting with him we have kept this seat left for a Congress candidate. He himself said that to restore democracy he will not contest this time. But what we have seen is that he changed his mind completely which is really very unfortunate.”

Claiming that no one will support this step of Moboshar, Jitendra said, “No one will support it. It’s true that we could not give him a ticket this time but the outburst was not expected”.