In a letter to the returning officer of Kailashahar assembly, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Choudhury on Tuesday sought Ali's disqualification as the BJP candidate.

"As Mabashar Ali neither resigned from the Assembly, nor from the party, in no circumstances, he may be treated as a candidate of the BJP. Hence, he may be disqualified for being a BJP candidate for want of statutory legal requirement," Choudhury said in the letter. After receiving the letter, returning officer Pradip Sarkar examined Ali's nomination and found his papers are in order, and rejected the complaint.

Chief Electoral Officer Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao told PTI, "The EC received a complaint against Mabashar Ali. The returning officer examined his Form A and B, and found his nomination is in order. The decision has already been communicated to the CPI(M) state secretary."

The Congress has fielded its state president Birajit Sinha from the prestigious seat in Unakoti district. Ali who won the 2018 elections as a CPI(M) candidate by defeating Sinha, joined the ruling BJP, which nominated him from the seat. Tripura will vote in the assembly elections on February 16, and the votes will be counted on March 2.