Agartala, April 17, 2024: The Tripura Pradesh Congress candidate supported by the INDIA Bloc for the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat Asish Kumar Saha and the CPIM candidate for the 7-Ramnagar by-election Ratan Das raised allegations of “large-scale manipulation” in parliamentary and assembly constituencies. The duo penned a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer Puneet Agarwal outlining their grievances and concerns.
“In large number of polling booths, the polling agents of INDIA Bloc either have been driven out or prevented from entering, and in some cases, they were even subjected to physical violence,” the letter read, highlighting the alleged acts of intimidation and suppression faced by opposition representatives.
The letter continued, “In 7-Ramnagar Assembly constituency, inhabitants along the Indo-Bangladesh bordering areas, mostly Muslims and opposition supporters, were threatened last evening not to approach the polling booths. Furthermore, BJP workers forcibly confiscated voter slips distributed by the Election Commission from many houses in this constituency.”
Providing specific instances of alleged malpractice, the letter pointed out, “In 7-Ramnagar AC, till 12.00 Noon, several polling booths were reportedly captured and completely rigged.”
The situation, according to Saha and Das, extended beyond Ramnagar, with similar incidents reported in various constituencies including Bishalgarh, Sonamura, Udaipur, Santirbazar, and Belonia. “In many booths, most of the polling agents of opposition candidates were driven out or physically assaulted. Moreover, identified opposition voters were reportedly being turned away from the voting queues,” they elaborated.
Expressing grave concerns over the integrity of the electoral process, the letter warned, “If the present trend of manipulation is allowed to continue, the elections to the 1-West Tripura Lok Sabha and the 7-Ramnagar by-election would be nothing short of a farce.”
In their plea to the CEO, Saha and Das urged immediate intervention to ensure a free and fair poll and safeguard the voting rights of the electorate. “Though it is late, we believe there is still scope to salvage the rights of the electors and uphold the principles of democracy,” they concluded.
The allegations made by the opposition candidates have stirred controversy and raised questions about the fairness of the electoral process in Tripura. As the Chief Electoral Officer weighs the gravity of these claims, all eyes remain on the unfolding developments leading up to the elections.
