AS we go to press, the state election commission of Tripura might declare the schedule for the election to the three tier panchayat bodies of the state. But the record of the last 15 months of the BJP-IPFT rule in the state puts a big question mark about whether the polls will be free and fair. The undemocratic manner of functioning of the state election commissioner too has added to the worry. 

The readers of this column are well aware how all the elections, including the election to the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat, post March 3, 2018 since the BJP-IPFT government assumed office have been reduced to a farce.

To prevent  a repeat of the same, and to ensure free and fair elections to the three tier panchayats, the Left Front has recently sought time from the chief minister to meet him in person and raise its concerns and demands. But the CM declined to give the Left Front delegation any chance of a meeting. Instead, he asked the Left Front to submit their views in writing. Though the behaviour of the CM was unprecedented and unexpected, the Left Front convener Bijan Dhar on June 25, has written a letter to the CM.  In the letter, he placed a six-point charter of demands to ensure an atmosphere conducive for free and fair election. 

Giving a detail of the fascist like terror that has been unleashed on the Left, especially the CPI(M) since the results of the Aassembly elections were declared, Bijan Dhar said these attacks are now aimed at democratic rights and civil liberties of the people to strangle any voice of protest. There is no rule of law.

He mentioned how the elected members of the rural and urban local bodies have been forced to submit their resignation in the face of extreme terror, and how the bye-elections to these vacant seats have been reduced to a farce as the opposition parties were either not allowed to submit nomination papers or the candidates were forced to withdraw. In the Lok Sabha elections too, especially in the West Tripura seat, full-scale rigging took place to ensure so-called victory of the BJP. 

Bijan Dhar wrote, as panchayat elections are nearing, incidents of terrorising and intimidating have started afresh. He asked the CM if he will take necessary steps to ensure that the panchayat elections too are not reduced to another travesty of democracy and if the administration will take necessary and positive steps in this regard. 

In the letter he raised six specific demands to ensure the same.

These are:

1. Ensure collection and submission of nomination papers in a fear free atmosphere. 
2. Provide security to the candidates if they demand so.
3. Ensure uninterrupted election campaigning for all the candidates. 
4. Take measures to prevent attacks and threats on the candidates, voters,  election staff.
5. Ensure that the polling agents and the voters can come to the polling booths, cast votes and perform their duties. Outsiders should not be allowed to sneak inside the polling area.
6. Take appropriate administrative and security related steps to ensure no unwanted incidents happen inside, outside the polling booths and in counting centres. 

That the apprehensions about the future of the polls are not unfounded have been proved by the attitude of the state election commissioner himself. On the 25^th, an all party meeting was convened by the SEC  G K Rao. Here CPI(M) delegate Haripada Das raised apprehension if, in the present circumstances, the elections will be free and fair. He wanted to share the experiences of the last Lok Sabha elections and the bye-elections to the local bodies last year. But the state election commissioner said the incidents of previous elections cannot be discussed in the meeting. Despite repeated demands by the CPI(M), the SEC stuck to his position. Then Haripada Das tried to raise the issue of June 21st, when BJP hoodlums vandalised an all party meeting in Khowai block. But the SEC didn’t allow that either. Enthused by his attitude, the BJP delegates asked the CPI(M) delegates to leave the meeting.  At this, the CPI(M) delegates asked the SEC  if he too thinks that the CPI(M) delegation should leave. The SEC said the CPI(M) delegation can remain present in the meeting but nothing related to previous elections can be raised. At this the CPI(M) delegates said, since we are not allowed to place our views, we are walking out of the meeting. 

Later in a statement, Haripada Das and Samar Adhya said, such intolerant, one-sided role of the SEC is uncalled for and unexpected. The apprehensions of the people if the panchayat elections will be free, fair and peaceful, in the background of fascist like terror of the ruling party has increased further with the behaviour and attitude of the SEC. The state election commission is towing the line of strangulating democracy as is being preached by the BJP-IPFT government of the state.