Agartala: Opposition parties: the CPIM and Congress have demanded fresh elections in the West Tripura parliamentary constituency and Ramanagar assembly constituency alleging that the whole electoral process was “vitiated”. Addressing a media conference soon after the polls ended, Congress candidate for West Tripura and PCC President Asish Kumar Saha said, “In 80 per cent of the polling stations under West Tripura Parliamentary constituency, the agents of Opposition parties have been forcefully driven out. They had faced intimidation and threats in the hands of ruling party-backed hooligans.”
Demanding fresh elections, Tripura Left Front Convenor Narayan Kar said, “We fear the polling percentage shown by the Election Commission doesn’t reflect the popular mandate of the electors of the state. We can sense that the voting percentage will go high above 80 per cent but the fact is it is artificially achieved through proxy voting.”
Meanwhile, according to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Tripura has recorded 81.52 per cent vote share in West Tripura and in Ramnagar, the vote percentage stands at 71.21 per cent. Speaking to media persons after the polling was almost over, RO West Tripura Dr Vishal Kumar said, “Two poll officials were suspended at Ramnagar assembly constituency for unfair poll practices in their polling station. Serious steps have been undertaken to make sure that polls are conducted freely. Some people had been arrested in Mohanpur and a couple of arrests were made in Ramnagar.”
On the opposition’s allegations, Dr Kumar said, “The office of Chief Electoral Officer responded to as many as 16 complaints which include online sources, phones and written submissions. In most of the cases, the allegations are found to be unfounded.”
Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party seems to be extremely elated at the election turnout. Tripura BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee launched a tirade against the opposition camp stating that they had been raising allegations of poll malpractices in order to downplay the imminent and assured defeat.
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