PEOPLE in the East Tripura parliamentary constituency exercised their voting rights in large numbers on April 23 despite attempts by goons of the ruling BJP to intimidate them. Polling in the constituency was deferred from April 18 to April 23 as the prevailing law-and-order situation there, was not conducive for holding free and fair poll. In the first phase polling in West Tripura seat on April 11, there were reports of largescale violence and booth capturing.

In the second phase, attempts to intimidate voters continued till late into the night of April 22, particularly in areas such as Kamalpur, Khowai, Hrishyamukh and Jolaibarri. On the day of polling, voters were prevented from going to booths in Kamalpur, Khowai, Jolaibarri, Amarpur and Hrishyamukh. Similar reports also came from some areas in Dharmanagar, Kumarghat and Sabroom. In some areas, polling agents of the CPI(M) were driven out. In Hrishyamukh, voters could not reach the booths till 9 am. When they could finally reach and exercise their voting rights, they were attacked again. 

But in most of the places, determined voters approached the election authorities and security forces to make way for a safe voting. In Khowai, a mandal leader of the BJP and in Amarpur two polling agents of the BJP were apprehended by the security forces. As compared to the April 11 polling, the role of the Election Commission and security forces was positive. CPI(M) candidate Jitendra Choudhury and Party state secretary Gautam Das approached them almost all the day and they too intervened in most of the cases. The voter turnout in the seat was above 80 per cent.

In the evening, Gautam Das and Party senior leader, Bijan Dhar in a press conference congratulated the electorate for their determination to exercise their democratic rights despite all terror tactics. Das said that since malpractices have been established in the West Tripura seat, the Election Commission must immediately meet the demand for repoll in 846 booths or if it thinks a total repoll is necessary, we will welcome that as well, they said. 

A day before the polling, the CPI(M) state secretary wrote to the chief electoral officer highlighting serious electoral malpractices. “From the Agartala-Dharmanagar morning train, 30/35 BJP boys uniformed with BJP symbol-clad ‘Uttariya’ got down at Ambassa railway station at about 8.00 am. It is expected that further mobilisation of BJP workers may happen by the subsequent trains travelling through this constituency. We apprehend, instead of staying in any hotel, they may stay in the houses of various local BJP leaders and workers. It is beyond doubt that the objective of such mobilisation from outside the constituency is nothing but to prevent the voters to go to polling station and rig the poll overpowering the security forces to be deployed in the booths,” Das wrote and demanded immediate action.

“Secondly, it is beyond imagination, that the BJP workers are being allowed to paste ‘Modi Stickers’ on the vehicles hired by the election department for carrying polling staff. This happened in Kumarghat this morning. It is an indication that, to what extent, the ruling BJP became desperate to garner illegal electoral benefits showing utter disrespect to the model code of conduct,” he said.

Bid to Cover Up Wrongdoings

Rampant irregularities, rigging and booth capturing during polling in the Tripura West parliamentary constituency on April 11 have shocked the people of the state, but attempts to cover up the misdeeds and save the culprits are going on.

It has been widely reported in the media that scores of polling officials, including micro observers and presiding officers at a number of booths, have been booked for failing to discharge their duties. What escaped the attention of the media is that a number of ruling party workers and supporters who indulged in the malpractices are getting bail as soon as they are being arrested. The FIRs are being lodged under bailable sections so that even if they get arrested, they can move scot free.  

Pointing it out, CPI(M) state secretary Gautam Das wrote to the election authorities that non-bailable sections should be included in the FIR. But what is more astonishing is that the returning officer of West Tripura seat and DM of West Tripura district is alleged to have sent a wrong report to the Election Commission about the scrutiny of the footage of webcams installed in polling booths. Both the Congress and the CPI(M) have made this charge.

In a letter to the poll panel, CPI(M) candidate for Tripura West Sankar Prasad Datta alleged that the returning officer sent a report that all video footages were shown to political parties and they were satisfied. But the fact is only one agent for a party was allowed and footages of different booths were played in eight different computers, making it impossible for the agents to scrutinise them properly. Agent for the CPI(M) candidate objected to it. But the officer rejected his objection. Clearly it shows the attempt to cover up the wrongdoings.

It is unprecedented that even after 11 days of polling and massive allegations of wrongdoing, which the Election Commission itself admits prima facie, no decision is yet taken about a repoll.