Left Front demand complete repoll in Dhanpur and Boxanagar constituencies , arrest of minister Bikash Debbarma and removal of officials in charge of by-polls

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 6, 2023

The Tripura left front has demanded complete repoll in Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly constituencies because of the ‘farcical elections’ held yesterday, arrest of minister Bikash Debbarma who had led the rigging and removal of officials on election duty including the SP (Sipahijala). The left front convener Narayan Kar in a letter to the election commission has raised the set of demands. This was announced in an interaction with the media in state CPI (M) headquarter at Melarmath , Agartala yesterday in the evening by left front convener Narayan Kar and CPI (M) state secretary Jiten Chowdhury. The other demands raised by the opposition CPI (M) include arrest of tribal welfare minister Bikash Debbarma who had led the rigging in tribal dominated areas before the announcement of the next date for reelection , removal of SP (Sipahijala) and returning officers of Dhanpur and Boxanagar constituencies from their posts and deployment of poll staff from other districts because the poll staff remain under great stress in constituencies where they live. The copy of the letter addressed by the CPI (M) has also been sent to the election commission of India (ECI). Yesterday’s media interaction was also attended by CPI (M) state secretariat member Manik Dey, Sipahijala district committee secretary and former minister Bhanulal Saha , CPI leader Milan Baidya, RSP leader Sudarshan Bhattacharjee and Forward Block leader Asish Kumar Bhattacharjee .

In the letter Narayan Kar said that from the last date of nomination on August 17 the entire administration and poll machinery had been hizacked by BJP in Sonamura subdivision where Dhanpur and Boxanagar constituencies are located and an atmosphere of all round terror was created by the goons and mafia elements of the ruling party. Many of the workers of the CPI (M) had been driven out of home in the aftermath of the assembly election in February this year but the few of those who stayed back were threatened with dire consequences in case they worked for the party. There had also been attempt by the BJP mafia elements under the leadership of two ministers to subvert the poll rally addressed by the former chief minister and CPI (M) politburo member Manik Sarkar at Monaipathar under Dhanpur but this attempt did not succeed because of the resistance put up by the local people.

The entire administration and control of the constituencies had passed to the hands of BJP leaders and ministers who executed the party’s strategy and tactics to reduce the election to a farce. Even the CPI (M) candidate in Boxanagar Mizan Hossain had to remain confined at home on the election day on 5th September. The CPI (M) could put up polling agents in only about 60% polling booths among altogether 110 in both the constituencies. Narayan Kar said in the letter that in the assembly polls held in February 63% voters had not cast ballots in favour of BJP and over the past six months the party has done nothing to increase their vote share and hence they resorted to widespread rigging and malpractices . The result is a foregone conclusion and the election commission of India (ECI) should intervene strongly to annul the farcical polls held on September 5, Narayan Kar on behalf of the left front said.