Agartala, April 9 (IANS): CPI-M's Tripura Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury on Tuesday said that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are not only about forming a government but also protecting the nation, its democracy and the Constitution.

Addressing an election rally at Baikhora in southern Tripura, Chaudhury, who is also the co-convener of the INDIA bloc in Tripura, accused the ruling BJP of trying to impose dictatorship curbing the independent views, thinking, and actions.

"Over 140 crore people of India are now in grave danger due to the autocratic governance of the BJP. To protect the nation and its people, 27 political parties, despite differences, formed the INDIA bloc to vote out the BJP," he said.

For the first time in the 72-year electoral history of Tripura, the Left and the Congress are contesting together in the parliamentary polls to take on the BJP, though the two traditional rivals jointly fought against the ruling party in last year’s Assembly elections.

The Left leader said there were differences between the Left parties and the Congress but an alliance was formed between them to protect the country, its democracy, and its Constitution.

"Some unelected people backed by the ruling party leaders are controlling everything in Tripura, be it government services, beneficiary selection for government schemes, trade and business, or normal activities of life. If anyone raises any issues against any BJP leaders, he or she would either be attacked or arrested by the law enforcing agencies," Chaudhury alleged.

Criticising the BJP’s "Achhe Din" and "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas" slogans, he said that a small section of people close to the ruling party are getting all benefits and privileges. The BJP came to power due to the division of non-BJP and opposition votes, Choudhury said, adding that less than one-third of people supported the BJP.

He alleged that the BJP is killing the democratic system of India and that people would cast their votes against such misdeeds.

Of Tripura's two Lok Sabha seats, Tripura West goes to polls on April 19 and Tripura East on April 26. Congress's state President Asish Kumar Saha is contesting, as the INDIA bloc candidate, in the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat against BJP nominee and former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb while former CPI-M MLA Rajendra Reang is the bloc nominee in the Tripura East constituency, reserved for the tribals, against the BJP’s Kriti Devi Debbarma.