The Left Front convenor Bijan Dhar, while announcing the names of candidates at a press conference held of Tuesday in Agartala, said that the Left alliance this time would contest the polls for peace, unity and integrity of the state and development.

The state, consisting of 60 Assembly constituencies, will vote on February 18 next and the counting of which will be held on March 3. The incumbent chief minister Manik Sarkar will contest from his home constituency, Dhanpur.

This time the Left Front faces a grave challenge from the BJP for the first time in history. The Left Front has ruled the state for consecutive four times starting from 1993 rendering the latter as strong bastion for the Leftists. It has been learnt that the BJP, too, has prepared a well-knitted strategy for the election.