Election to the 19-Charilam Assembly Constituency in Tripura

Postpone the Election, Demands CPI(M)

M A Baby, Polit Bureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met Om Prakash Rawat (chief election commissioner), Sunil Arora and Ashok Lavasa (election commissioners) on March 9 and requested for postponement of election to the 19-Charilam assembly constituency in Tripura till peace and normalcy is restored in the state.  The CEC assured that after having ascertained all facts, a decision will be taken.  

The memorandum submitted to the CEC states that the election to the 19-Charilam (ST) assembly constituency in Tripura is scheduled to be held on March 12, 2018. This date of polling was necessitated due to the countervailing of election in Charilam after the death of our candidate there. However, since the announcement of election results on March 3, there have been widespread attacks on CPI(M) leaders, workers and its offices all over the state.  

With a view to vitiating the peaceful election and winning the seat in Charilam, the ruling party – the BJP – has let loose a reign of terror and violence against the CPI(M) and the Left Front.  11 offices of the CPI(M) and the RSP have been either set on fire or ransacked; 58 houses of leaders of the Party and workers have been attacked and looted; and 19 of our workers have been physically assaulted and injured so far.

The situation is such that not a single booth office of the Party in the constituency remains intact.  Even the district committee offices of the CPI(M) and the RSP at Bishramganj have been occupied with the police not doing anything to prevent it. 

In such a situation, a fair and peaceful poll in the constituency is not possible.  Therefore, we request you to postpone the election in 19-Charilam assembly constituency till peace and normalcy is restored. 

TRIPURA LEFT FRONT COMMITTEE’S MEMORANDUM

TO THE STATE CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER

The Tripura Left Front committee has also submitted a memorandum to the chief electoral officer, Tripura on March 8. It noted that following the election results on March 3, there was unprecedented terror – physical torture, attack on the houses of Left supporters mainly targeting the CPI(M) leaders, workers, its offices and its mass organisation offices – let loose all over the state. The 19-Charilam assembly constituency area is also not spared of such terror and destruction. Rather, aiming to win this seat without least contest, the BJP miscreants have intensified their terror turning the situation in this constituency area into a worse one. The following facts were mentioned in the memorandum to show the gravity of the situation prevailing in the constituency.

List of Party offices ransacked, looted and occupied

1.    CPI(M) Brajapur branch office set on fire

2.    CPI(M) Lalsinghmura LC office set on fire

3.    CPI(M) Ramchara branch office ransacked, looted

4.    CPI(M) Parimal Chowmohani branch office ransacked, looted 

5.    CPI(M) Herma LC office ransacked, looted

6.    CPI(M) Sutarmura branch office ransacked, looted

7.    CPI(M) Aralia branch office ransacked, looted

8.    CPI(M) Bishramganj district committee office forcibly occupied

9.    CPI(M) Charilam LC office forcibly occupied

10.RSP Bishramganj district office burnt to ashes

11.RSP local office at Charilam ransacked

TMSU offices occupied

1.    TMSU Bishramganj branch office

2.    TMSU Charilam branch

List of houses of leaders and workers, attacked, ransacked and looted

1.    Durjoy Debbarma of Bangshibari

2.    Angor Debbarma

3.    Sudhan Debbarma

4.    Shibacharan Laskar of Brajapur

5.    Paresh Debbarma of Ramnagar

6.    Fulkumar Debbarma of Ramangar

7.    Surajit Debbarma of Ramnagar

8.    Krishna Debbarma of Herma

9.    Sahadeb Debbarma of Herma

10.Ranjit Debbarma of Rangmala

11.Basanta Debbarma of Rangmala

12.Subhas Debbarma of Rangmala

13.Buth a Debbarma of Rangmala

14.Chabita Debbarma of Rangmala

15.Ratan Debbarma of Rangmala

16.Ranjit Debbarma of Rangmala

17.Nishikanta  Debbarma of Rangmala

18.Sukumar Debbarma of Rangmala

19.Sushil saha of Madrasa

20.Kajal Debnath of Madrasa

21.Sukhlal Das of Madrasa

22.Suniti Das of Madrasa

23.Kanulal Saha of North Charilam

24.Billal Mia of North Charilam

25.Alamgir Hussein of North Charilam

26.Paresh Nama of of North Charilam

27.Jyotsna Paul of North Charilam

28.Arun Saha of North Charilam

29.Apan Saha of North Charilam

30.Narayan Chakraborty of North Charilam

31.Tapan Das of North Charilam

32.Khitish Debnath of North Charilam

33.Pradip Das of North Charilam

34.Lalit Das of North Charilam

35.Sentu Das of North Charilam

36.Sanjit Das of North Charilam

37.Naraan Debnath of North Charilam

38.Rabindra Debnath of North Charilam

39.Niranjan Sarkar of North Charilam

40.Nimai Bhowmik of North Charilam

41.Malina Debnath of Chechmai

42.Maniklal Chakraborty of Chechmai

43.Mantu Debnath of Chechmai

44.Pramode Shil of Chechmai

45.Narayan Debnath of Chechmai

46.Kanak Debnath of Chechmai

47.Shrabani Chakraborty of Chechmai

48.Pintu Debnath of South Charimal

49.Nakul Debnath of South Charimal

50.Rakhal Das of South Charimal

51.Shambhu Majumder of South Charimal

52.Sudip Chakraborty of South Charimal

53.Samir Debnath of South Charimal

54.Bishnupada Chakraborty of South Charimal

55.Jhulan Acharjee of South Charimal

56.Prantosh Debnath of South Charimal

57.Parimal Das of South Charimal

58.Anil Debnath of South Charimal

Name of the Party leaders and workers physically assaulted

1.    Muslem Miah of Madrasa

2.    Minar Hussein of of Madrasa

3.    Kajal Debnath of Madrasa

4.    Suklal Das of Madrasa

5.    Suniti Das of Madrasa

6.    Nirmal Das of Bankumari

7.    Jalil Hussein of Aralia

8.    Suman Debnath of Aralia

9.    Kanulal Saha of Netaji Colony

10.Kalpana Saha of Netaji Colony

11.Joydul Hussein of Fakiramura

12.Prantosh Saha of Fakiramura

13.Chandan Das of chechrimai

14.Kumode Sukladas of chechrimai

15.Apu Das of chechrimai

16.Khokan Sarkar of of chechrimai

17.Pintu Debnath of of chechrimai

18.Hira Mohan Debnath of chechrimai

19.Ratan Sukladas of chechrimai

In addition to the above facts, not a single booth office put up by the CPI(M) in 19-Charilam (ST) constituency area remains intact. All these were demolished and removed. The police administration is aware of all these incidents. The forcible occupation of CPI(M) district committee office and arson of RSP district office  at Bishramganj took place before the eyes of the police of Bishramganj PS, which is close to these offices.  BJP miscreants are in frantic search of our Party candidate Palash Debbarma who is practically hiding at present. 

“We are sure, you will agree with us that, this situation is not conducive to hold elections in the said 19-Charilam (ST) assembly constituency in a free and fair manner. For free and fair elections, prevalence of normal peaceful atmosphere is a pre-requisite. Such a situation is quite absent in 19-Charilam(ST) area at present.”

In view of the above situation, the CPI(M) has urged upon the chief electoral officer of Tripura to take up the matter with the Election Commission of India to postpone the election until restoration of normal situation in that area.     

Election to the 19-Charilam (ST) Assembly Constituency  Tripura Left Front Committee Decides to Withdraw from Contest

THE Tripura Left Front Committee has decided to withdraw from the election to the 19-Charilam (ST) Assembly Constituency in Tripura.

The convenor of Tripura Left Front Committee, Bijan Dhar, in a letter sent to the chief electoral officer, Tripura on March 10 said, “In reference to the Left Front memorandum submitted to you on March 8, seeking postponement of the election to 19-Charilam (ST) assembly constituency, we like to inform you the latest situation in the area of that constituency and our decision in this regard.

“In our earlier memorandum submitted to you on March 8, we had categorically mentioned the names of 11 Party offices of CPI(M) and RSP either ransacked, looted, occupied or set on fire. We also mentioned about forcible occupation of two TMSU (Tripura Motor Shramik Union) offices in that constituency. In addition, the memorandum had a list of 58 names of CPI(M) and other Left arty leaders, cadres and supporters whose houses were attacked, ransacked and looted.  19 Left leaders and cadres were reported to be physically assaulted, in that memorandum.

“The situation during last two days, instead of improving, has further deteriorated. On March 8, at Madhya Brajapur, the straw stake of one Nanigopal Deb, a Left supporter was set on fire. Two rubber plantations of Kishore Debbarma and Rabindra Debbarma of Bagnshibari village were completely gutted. At Brajapur, a rice mill of one Surajit Das, a Left supporter was set on fire.   No Party office, including the CPI(M) and RSP district committee offices at Bishramganj,  under 19-Charilam(ST) constituency area is in a position to function at present,  because all of those were vandalised, ransacked or gutted. All the booth offices of the CPI(M) of this constituency were demolished by the BJP miscreants.  Large numbers of Left supporters were bound to stay outside due to threat perception from the BJP hoodlums. Huge amounts of money are being extorted from the Left supporters’ families under duress. The CPI(M) candidate though a resident of Charilam assembly constituency area is compelled to stay outside. He is not in a position to move in the constituency area even with security cover. The campaign period is going to be over at 4.00 pm today. Any election held in such a situation, would be nothing but a one-sided exercise and we are sure,  it would be a mockery in the name of democracy.

Since our appeal for postponement of the election of 19-Charilam(ST) assembly constituency till the restoration of normalcy  has not been considered by the Election Commission of India basing on the ground reality,  Tripura Left Front Committee in its meeting held at 12.00 Noon on March 10, has unanimously decided to withdraw the Left Front sponsored CPI(M) candidate from this election.”