By our correspondent
Agartala, May 12, 2019: The CPIM state committee today claimed that the re-polls in 168 polling stations under the West Tripura constituency were ‘by and large peaceful’, though in some places voters of the opposition party— mostly, CPIM faced intimidations from BJP backed miscreants.
Briefing the media persons at state headquarters of the party, CPIM state secretary Goutam Das said, “We cannot call the entire elections process peaceful but largely, the polls were satisfactory and it proved that if the election machinery wishes to conduct poll in free and fair manner, nobody can vitiate the process”.
Das reiterated his party’s demand for fresh elections in the entire constituency and urged the Election Commission to conduct polls in rest of the polling stations. “During the first phase of elections, near about 50% of the genuine voters could not cast their votes owing to large scale rigging and intimidations. It may be noted, polls in East Tripura constituency and today’s re-polls in 168 polling stations were conducted amid tight security which was missing during April 11 polls,” he added justifying his demand for fresh elections in rest of the polling stations of West Tripura constituency.
Even as Das said, repolls were largely peaceful, he raised fingers at BJP activists and alleged, ever since the polls were declared, BJP miscreants started threatening voters in several areas, which went to polls today. “The BJP miscreants barged into many houses of CPIM supporters and threatened them not to cast their votes. In Minority community dominated areas, violent activities were the highest”, he alleged.
Reasoning comparatively lower voter turnout, he ascribed threats and violent attacks as the influencing factors. “A good number of people could not muster courage to turn up for voting”, Das alleged and identified Nalchar, Sonamura Majlishpur, Dhanpur, Pratapgarh and Bisalgarh as the most violent-ridden areas.
EC fails to build voters’ confidence: Cong
Times News
Agartala, May 12: Congress candidate for West Tripura parliamentary constituency, Subal Bhowmik today expressed his unhappiness and blamed the election machinery of the state for failing to build confidence among the voters.
Expressing his displeasure at ‘lower’ voters’ turn out Subal Bhowmik raised his fingers at the State Election Department . Addressing a press conference today in Agartala, Bhowmik said, “The voters’ turnout was recorded lower than the usual. It is because of the failure of Election department in ensuring adequate measures to build confidence among the voters during the re-polls in 168 polling stations under the West Parliamentary Constituency.”
Referring to the first phase of elections, Bhowmik said, the Election Commission failed to provide adequate security during the first phase of elections in this constituency. And, they are found to be on wrong foot, once again on security issues and consistent with their bad performance today also.
He also alleged, the re-polls that were announced few days back was also an attempt by the EC to put a lid on their failures.
In the same press conference, Senior vice-president of the party Pijush Biswas said, we have already approached the Supreme Court and we are hopeful that if not EC, the judiciary system will do justice with the people who could not take part in the biggest festival of democracy.
