Amidst speculation over the future of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) among opposition CPI (M) and Congress in Tripura, who were contested last assembly election together, at last the Congress and CPI(M) has formed an alliance and decided to contest one seat each in the coming Lok Sabha Election.

Congress has declared that PCC president Ashish Kumar Saha will contest from West Tripura constituency while the CPI (M) is yet to declare the name of their candidate for East Tripura constituency. Last time also they formed alliance but CPI (M) contested in both the seats. 

Ashish Saha said both the parties have agreed to the seat sharing and expecting a tough fight.

Sources in the CPI (M) also admitted that they have reached in a seat sharing agreement but could not confirm when the name of their candidate for East seat will be declared, which suppose to declare jointly, but Congress on Friday announced their candidate name without consultation with their alliance partner.

AICC on Friday released the first list of candidates for a total of 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in the states of Tripura, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Telangana, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland and Sikkim.

As per the list of 39 candidates, Tripura Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha has been named as party candidate for West Tripura constituency and will enter into fray of election with BJP candidate and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

Sources close to both parties said that both CPI(M) an Congress maintaining their INDIA alliance were amicably agreed to contest both Lok Sabha seats of Tripura and Congress has demanded for West Tripura seat and CPI(M) will enter into the fray of LS polls from East Tripura ST reserved constituency.

After rounds of meetings, the leaders of both parties had also decided to announce the candidate names for West and East Tripura seats jointly in a press conference, but all of sudden Congress on Friday announced their candidate name for West Tripura seat without any consultation with their INDIA alliance partner CPI (M).

While speaking with media, Ashish Kumar Saha, who is camping in New Delhi, said that they have unanimously decided to contest the LS polls with alliance with CPI (M) and both parties have agreed that Congress will contest from West Tripura seat and CPI (M) will contest the polls from East Tripura Parliamentary constituency. Now, its CPI (M) will declare their candidate name for East Tripura and both parties will also start their poll campaign together, said Saha.

Ashish Kumar Saha won the assembly elections in 2018 from Bardowali assembly seat on a BJP ticket and later resigned from the post as well as party to join the Congress.

He later contested the by-elections and 2023 assembly elections against Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha from the same Bardowali seat but lost the elections.

About a year ago, Ashish Kumar Saha was appointed as the Tripura Pradesh Congress president replacing incumbent Congress MLA Birajit Sinha.