Agartala, July 16, 2024: The Left parties have approached the Tripura High Court regarding the Panchayat elections. Yesterday, they submitted a petition based on specific grievances. The division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice S.D. Purkayastha accepted the petition on Tuesday. The hearing is scheduled for July 18.
The Left parties have raised concerns about alleged terror during the nomination process. Tensions escalated following the death of CPM candidate Badal Shil. Accusing the ruling BJP of turning the elections into a farce, the Left parties have been vocal and active, frequently approaching the State Election Commissioner and the Director General of Police (DGP). They have accused the police of non-cooperation.
Yesterday, the Left leaders met with the DGP, demanding security for their candidates, including escorts for filing nominations. However, the DGP informed them that such measures are not possible without directives from the State Election Commission.
Manik Dey, a member of the CPM state committee and former minister, stated that the State Election Commission had advised them to coordinate with the police for candidate security. Despite this, the DGP indicated that no such directive had been issued, making it impossible for the police to provide escorts for nomination filing.
In response, the Left parties approached the State Election Commissioner again today, presenting the DGP’s stance. At a press conference, the Left Front convenor mentioned that the State Election Commissioner assured them of issuing instructions to the DGP for candidate security during nomination filing. Nevertheless, they remain skeptical of the administration’s role and have thus approached the Tripura High Court.
Their petition to the High Court includes requests for online nomination submissions, filing nominations at the District Magistrate’s office instead of block offices through additional AROs, extending the nomination filing deadline, and ensuring a fair election environment. The division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice S.D. Purkayastha has accepted the petition, with the hearing set for July 18.
