AGARTALA:
Opposition parties Communist Party of India (CPI-M) and Congress have demanded a re-poll in 22 polling stations of three assembly constituencies after these polling stations were allegedly rigged by Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)-backed miscreants. However, BJP has denied these claims and said that the by-election was free, fair, and peaceful.
The by-elections to the four assembly constituencies in Tripura on Thursday recorded a 78.58 per cent voter turnout till 5.30 pm. As many as 1,89,032 voters are eligible to decide the electoral fate of 22 candidates in the fray.
Addressing a press conference Pradesh Congress Chief Birajit Sinha lashed out at the ruling BJP for intimidating voters, assaulting them and not allowing polling agents to perform their duties.
“In many places, BJP didn’t allow our polling agents to enter while in some places they were kicked out from the polling booths. We are demanding a re-poll in three polling booths under 6-Agartala assembly constituencies”, Birajit said.
He also slammed Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha as he accused BJP workers of preventing voters from entering polling booths in the Chief Minister’s constituency.
“Many fake voters were detained by CAPF and other officials from the constituency of the Chief Minister. Since last night the BJP bike-borne miscreants started threatening voters with pistols”, he said.
CPIM state committee secretary Jitendra Chowdhury, meanwhile, has termed this bye-election ‘a fight to save democracy and constitutional rights’.
Accusing BJP of using bullying tactics, he said, “BJP is bankrupt and isolated from people which they have proved by doing the rigging, intimidating voters, by bringing outsiders to unleash a reign of terror. We are demanding re-poll in 22 polling stations.”
He also trained guns on Tripura Police and claimed some of them did not cooperate with the Chief Electoral Officer to conduct a free and fair poll.
“The offices of the ECI and CEO have done their level best. But some of the police personnel didn’t cooperate in conducting a free and fair poll. But CAPF and voters have done a good job”, he said.
BJP Vice President refuted these allegations and said, “As per our reports from all the assembly constituencies, we learned that the by-election was peaceful, free, and fair.”
BJP also counter-alleged the opposition parties of hatching conspiracies and attempting to instigate voters to create unrest in and around the polling station.