The ruling party, BJP, in Tripura, started celebrating victory in three out of four constituencies where bye-elections were held on June 23, with physical attacks on the opposition. The BJP has chosen this victory to suppress the opposition using its miscreants in complicity with some pet police officials.

The result of bye-elections to four assembly constituencies was out on June 26, 2022. BJP managed to garner three out of four seats and one was bagged by a BJP-turned Congress candidate in the 6-Agartala Constituency. The other three seats won by BJP are 7-Town Bordwali, 46-Surma(SC) and 57-Jubarajnagar. CPI(M) scored the second position in respect of voting percentage.

HORROR OF VICTORY

The terror and intimidation were let loose on June 22 night, the eve of the polls, and took a horrible turn as the trends of the BJP's victory were coming in, on June 26.  Targeting the opposition leaders and common supporters, the BJP hoodlums got a free hand to unleash destruction of properties, houses, and shops, looting of valuables, snatching away of domestic animals and imposing ransom of huge amounts on the opposition supporters in the name of celebration. In some places, the Left front leaders and the leaders of CPI(M) in particular had to confront barriers to visiting the houses of the victims and meeting with them. Many of them had injuries and were taken to hospital. In some places, the injured were obstructed whilst being taken to government hospitals for treatment. In Agartala and Surma of Kamalpur, the target of the miscreants were the key Party functionaries and polling agents. Altogether, besides several CPI(M) offices vandalized and broken down, more than 100 houses in Agartala, Kamalpur, Khowai, Udaipur, Belonia, and Dharmanagar sub-divisions were attacked and rampaged.

The statue of Lenin in the heart of Teliamura town was defaced and desecrated, and the statue of Dasaratha Deb at Subhasnagar Auto Stand was broken. State Congress office just opposite the West Agartala police station in Agartala was attacked and ransacked in presence of police. The BJP miscreants physically assaulted PCC president, Birjit Sinha in office. He had to be hospitalised. This attack was organised by a minister remaining present on the spot.

NEXUS BETWEEN POLICE AND MISCREANTS

All the concerns and apprehensions regarding fair and free conduct of polls raised by the opposition political parties proved to be true. BJP utilised its position in the government nakedly. CPI(M) and other parties made a large number of representations to the state election commission urging for taking appropriate measures to drive out outsiders, who were gathered by the ruling BJP in the state. The opposition parties in their complaints categorically mentioned the private lodges, hotels, government bungalows, and even houses of the individual BJP leaders where the outsiders were camped. The election authority, instead of taking cognisance of the complaints merely forwarded the complaints to the police authorities, a major section of whom had all along taken a partisan role in favour of the ruling BJP.

 The nexus between a section of the police and civil officials and the BJP/RSS leaders is now an open secret.  For instance, the superintendent of police, in West Tripura was in charge of the overall security arrangement in two assembly constituencies in Agartala. He is alleged to have issued an official order to deploy two women police constables to impart martial training to the RSS women cadets in RSS state headquarter. Attaching the copy of the order, the CEO was urged to remove him from election duty.  But the election officials paid no heed. A sub-divisional magistrate in the capacity of ARO of 1-West Tripura parliamentary constituency was alleged to have webcast polling booths to BMS, an affiliate organisation of BJP during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. When the fact came to light he was removed from all election duties by the ECI. Ironically, the same officer was appointed as returning officer for the 8-Town Bordwali assembly in this bye-election. In this case, also the protest of the opposition parties to remove him from all election assignments was just ignored.       

The chief minister of the state first started violating the MCC by conducting a political tour using a government helicopter with his party colleagues just the next day after the declaration of the bye-election.

POLL-DAY SCENE

On the poll day, as expected, particularly in Agartala and Surma in three constituencies the outsiders came down to the streets covering their faces with masks and started threatening the Left voters identified by the local BJP cadres. In many places, the outsiders jammed the voters’ queue making hurdles against the opposition voters to get into the booth. Salil Debbarman, an octogenarian CPI(M) leader having a pace-maker in his chest had to bleed himself to pave the way to the polling booth pushing aside the miscreants. One police constable on official duty was stabbed inside the polling booth. In the afternoon, the outsiders overpowered some polling booths and cast votes against the absentee voters. All of this happened in front of the police everywhere.

In the midst of a volley of criticism from various corners, the police lastly arrested a few hooligans including a woman from Agartala town, all identified as known BJP cadres of other sub-divisions.

LEFT FRONT STATEMENT

The Tripura Left committee in a statement stated that the results of bye-elections to four assembly constituencies are unexpected in view of the unusual situation that has been prevailing in the state for the last 51 months. The ruling BJP misused its position in the government, rampantly used money and muscle power, and used the administration. Due to continuous terror, attacks and intimidations unleashed by the ruling party, many electors got panicked and failed to exercise their right to vote freely. A sizable number of voters were prevented from casting vote. In many places, the musclemen voted in favour of the ruling party depriving the genuine voters.

The Left Front salutes the voters who courageously confronted such hurdles and exercised their democratic rights.

The Left Front is confident that, taking lessons from the eventualities in this bye-election, the democratic masses would march forward to restore democracy and the right to franchise in a free and fearless manner through building up wide people’s unity.