Agartala: In Tripura, the ruling Left Front's campaign strategy rests on one face: Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. For years, the four-time chief minister's clean image had been enough to see his party through. This time, Mr Sarkar's most ardent supporters concede he has a fight on his hands.
The BJP has run a high-pitched campaign against the Left Front government to unseat Mr Sarkar whose coalition had won 50 out of the 60 seats in the 2013 assembly polls including 19 out of the 20 seats reserved for tribals. The BJP has all of six lawmakers in the state assembly; all of them had switched over from Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress a few months back.
His clean image may be the key to Left continuity, but even his comrades agree the upcoming elections would be a difficult race.
Mr Sarkar has been BJP's solo target for an alleged job scam, unemployment and blurred lines between the party and government.
Some others in the opposition don't have any doubts about Mr Sarkar's honesty but claim his government is tainted.
BJP's poll war cry of for Tripura polls has been 'Chalo Paltai' or 'let's bring change'. Perhaps what now stands between continuity and change is the image of CPM's poster boy Manik Sarkar.
The BJP has run a high-pitched campaign against the Left Front government to unseat Mr Sarkar whose coalition had won 50 out of the 60 seats in the 2013 assembly polls including 19 out of the 20 seats reserved for tribals. The BJP has all of six lawmakers in the state assembly; all of them had switched over from Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress a few months back.
His clean image may be the key to Left continuity, but even his comrades agree the upcoming elections would be a difficult race.
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Mr Sarkar has been BJP's solo target for an alleged job scam, unemployment and blurred lines between the party and government.
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Some others in the opposition don't have any doubts about Mr Sarkar's honesty but claim his government is tainted.
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BJP's poll war cry of for Tripura polls has been 'Chalo Paltai' or 'let's bring change'. Perhaps what now stands between continuity and change is the image of CPM's poster boy Manik Sarkar.
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