WILL the elections to the two parliament seats of Tripura be peaceful, free and fair? The prevailing condition of unabated terror and violence in the state even after the announcement of polls clearly indicate that the ruling BJP is hell bent on not allowing people their constitutional and democratic rights. 

A delegation of CPI(M) led by its state secretary  Gautam Das met the ECI's secretary in charge of Tripura,  Arabind Anand and the state CEO to reiterate its demands for free and fair election. 

In its memorandum CPI(M) demanded that the ECI must ensure an environment where the Party can freely organise its political-organisational works, take its electoral campaign to each and every voter of the state and  people can exercise their voting rights fearlessly. 

They mentioned about the fascist like terror prevailing in the state since March 3, 2018. There is no democracy or rule of law in the state.  Six of the CPI(M) workers have been murdered,  1600 of them have been injured;  most of the CPI (M) offices have been  ransacked,  burnt down  and looted. Hundreds of them have been destroyed using bulldozers by the BJP government. Even among the few offices left, the Sipahijala district committee office, subdivision committee offices of Kamalpur,  Santirbazar,  Jirania and Jampuijala could not be reopened since the declaration of results of assembly elections because of the continued terror and violence. 

On February 20, a delegation of CPI(M) led by its general secretary Sitaram Yechury met the three election commissioners and submitted a memorandum apprising them of the situation.  But even after that, no improvement in the situation is visible. Even after the declaration of Lok Sabha election,  the SDM of Langtarai valley subdivision has imposed restrictions on the opening and  functioning of a local committee office of CPI(M). On March 12, house of  Himangshu Ray, CPI(M) leader and sabhadhipati of South Tripura zilla parishad  was attacked;  on March 16, Dukli subdivision committee of CPI(M) was attacked and the husband of Rajya Sabha MP Jharna Das Baidya was assaulted;  he is in hospital and all the accused have got bail from the PS itself.   On 15th, CPI(M) Rajghat branch secretary Shibapada Barman was grievously injured; on March 16, veteran CPI(M) leader Ranabahadur Debbarma was brutally beaten up in Tulasikhar area of Khowai;  he is unconscious and is under treatment even now. In the night of March 17th, a number of houses of CPI(M) workers including  the  house of  Dukli subdivision committee secretary Narayan Deb were attacked. The second largest circulated newspaper of the state Daily Desher Katha is facing tremendous attack on its circulation. The CPI(M) delegation demanded adequate security so  that the CPI(M) offices all over the state can  be opened and  they can function properly. They also demanded that central paramilitary forces be deployed in adequate strength so that people can feel fear-free and asked for providing adequate security for CPl(M) state level leaders including MLAs, ex MLAs  and  ex MPs. The demands included creation of an atmosphere where all the political parties can campaign freely and all the newspapers can be circulated without hindrances.