- Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura
Agartala, May 31, 2022 : Ahead of by-election in Tripura, Pradesh Trinamool Congress leaders led by its president Subal Bhowmik on Tuesday apprised the Chief Electoral Officer Kiran Gitte regarding the dire situation faced by the electorates and opposition political parties during the past four elections across the state.
Meeting with the CEO Gitte at Civil Secretariat here in Agartala city on Tuesday, Bhowmik placed a seven pages memorandum citing the gruesome experience of the people of Tripura during the past four elections comprised of Lok Sabha, 3-Tier Panchayat, ADC and Urban Local Bodies. In context to this, TMC leadership requested the CEO to ensure complete peace and conduct the by-election in a free and fair manner.
Later, speaking to reporters in front of the Civil Secretariat here, Pradesh TMC president said “The state had undergone a disastrous situation during the last four years and three months under the regime of BJP-led government and at present, the situation is not suitable to conduct by-election. After the formation of this coalition government, massive rigging and terrorizing people was held before the Lok Sabha election in 2019 across the state. Such a situation was not witnessed in the entire country which was noticed in 1-West Tripura parliamentary constituency where re-poll was conducted in 168 booths. Even though the returning officer demanded re-poll in over 400 booths, ECI was alleged to have come under pressure of the central government and announced to hold re-poll with a very less number of booths. We have faced a terrible Lok Sabha in 2019.”
“Later, many other elections took place in Tripura like Panchayat, ADC and urban local bodies. The ruling party won the election uncontested in 98 percent of seats in the Panchayat election as the opposition were suppressed completely. During the ADC election, hundreds of party offices were set ablaze. In the last civic bodies election, horrible incidents took place where people were restricted to exercise their democratic rights and even many were physically assaulted. All these went viral on social media platforms. Even the candidates in different urban local bodies faced attacks”, he added.
Bhowmik further told the CEO that the central minister of Prime Minister Modi’s cabinet Ramdas Athawale gave a letter to the union Home minister regarding deteriorated law and order situation in Tripura as his party’s Pradesh president faced attack several times. In the last four and half years, the DGP never met with any political person of opposition parties in Tripura. We were told how the top senior official will manage a neutral administration if the oppositions’ voices are left unheard? The government is running in a partisan manner and discriminating common masses.
“Under these circumstances, the common voters are afraid whether they will be able to exercise their franchise or will be physically assaulted while going to polling booths in the ensuing by-election in four constituencies. It is the role of the administration to make people free from any kind of fear. You may hold the by-election in a free and fair manner but 40 percent of the people can cast their votes. The state of Tripura has a record in the past where more than 85 percent votes were casted”, he told reporters.
The delegation included vice-presidents Pijush Kanti Debroy, Prakash Das and Tapas Kisha, general secretary Tapas Roy, and state committee member Debabrata Ghosh.
At last, CEO Gitte assured them that the by-election on June 23 next will be cent percent free and fair. He also assured us that the attacks and violence before the day of the by-election will not take place and everything will be under control.
