The Congress on Friday announced its candidates for next month's assembly election in Tripura.

It also justified its alliance with the Indigenous National Party of Tripura, which is accused by the Communist Party of India-Marxist of having links with the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura. It left 18 of the 60 seats [only 59 were announced] for the INPT.

Regarding the CPI-M's allegations, the All India Congress Committee secretary in-charge of Northeast, Mani Shankar Aiyar, said, "The INPT was formed after the merger of the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity and the Tripura National Volunteers. They have nothing to do with the National Liberation Front of Tripura."

In fact, he said, the All Tripura Tiger Force closely assists the CPI-M.

Regarding the CPI-M's allegation that INPT president Bijoy Rankhal had raised the issue of self-determination in Geneva, Aiyar said, "Though, unfortunately, he used that term in Geneva, later, on returning to India, he clarified, 'I am an Indian and I believe in Indian democracy.'"

CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechuri had said: "Clearly, the NLFT, enjoying the patronage of the Congress-INPT alliance, has embarked on such a course to terrorise the people and force them to vote for the Congress-led alliance.

"It is well known that the INPT is the political wing of the NLFT, and any alliance with the INPT, therefore, constitutes a direct collaboration with the outlawed and banned extremist NLFT.

"The Congress has, once again, shown that it places its narrow electoral interests above the interests of the unity and integrity of India."