Summary:
AGARTALA: The CPM is confident of retaining power in its bastion of Tripura in Sunday's assembly elections and achieving a turnaround in the Left movement across the country, though the BJP is battling tooth and nail to oust the Left Front government.In India's 65-year-long electoral history, the country's dominant Left party, the CPM, has never been in direct confrontation with the BJP. However, political developments in Tripura in 2016 and 2017 have set the stage for their first face-to-face battle as the saffron outfit has emerged as the key opposition party in this Communist-ruled state. Counting will take place on March 3. All the top leaders of CPM, BJP, Congress and Trinamool Congress participated in the hectic two-month long poll campaign that ended on Friday afternoon.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and party's General Secretary in-charge of northeastern states Ram Madhav, the CMs of five BJP-ruled states, CPM general Secretary Sitaram Yechury, many party politburo members including Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Biman Bose, addressed a record number of election rallies since December.In all 292 candidates, including 23 women and many independents, would be testing their electoral fortunes in Sunday's election..