CPIM Urges Precautionary Measures for Transparent By-Elections in Tripura

AGARTALA: In a significant development, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Tripura (CPIM) has taken proactive steps to ensure the integrity of the upcoming by-elections in the 20-Boxanagar and 23-Dhanpur Assembly constituencies. A CPIM delegation, comprising prominent leaders CPIM MLA Jitendra Chaudhury, former minister Manik Dey, and CPIM leader Haripada Das, met with Puneet Agarwal, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tripura, and submitted a formal request for precautionary measures to uphold transparency and fairness in these crucial elections.

In their letter addressed to the CEO, the CPIM pointed to past by-elections held in 2022, specifically referencing the 8-Town Bordowali Assembly seat, where they alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had collaborated with the police to enable outsider workers deployed by the BJP to intimidate voters. The CPIM claimed that this tacit understanding had undermined the credibility of the election, turning it into a farce.

“From the experiences of earlier bye-elections held in 2022 in 4 Assembly seats, we like to draw the following matter to you for taking preventive measures beforehand for the sake of free and fair election. It was observed that, in the last bye-elections, particularly in the 8-Town Bordowali Assembly seat, the ruling BJP had come to a tacit understanding with the police through the then DCP Mr VS Jadav, that the outsider workers deployed by BJP in the poll-bound areas were given free hand to terrorize the voters. The police were directed that the persons wearing yellow or white ribbons in hand or having Tilak on their forehead should not be touched. They were given whatever according to their whims. In this way the bye-election in 8-Town Bordowali Assembly seat was reduced to complete farce”, the letter reads.

Notably, the CPIM emphasized that although Sonamura town falls outside the polling areas, it serves as the gateway to both Assembly seats where the by-elections are scheduled. They asserted that the BJP had already reserved hotels, guest houses, and marriage halls in Sonamura and nearby areas to accommodate their out-of-town workers who have been active in both constituencies since the announcement of the election on August 8th.

Additionally, the CPIM revealed that in Bar Narayan, located within the Dhanpur Assembly constituency, a significant camp had been established where hundreds of outsiders were operating. The CPIM called for the swift eviction of outsiders from government guest houses, private hotels, and other facilities in Sonamura town by September 2nd. They also stressed the importance of maintaining strict checkposts to prevent any disturbances on polling day by these outsiders stationed in various locations.

Furthermore, considering the proximity of both Assembly seats to the international border with Bangladesh, the CPIM requested heightened vigilance by the Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent any infiltration attempts. To enhance election security, the CPIM proposed that paramilitary forces stationed at polling station entry points verify the identity of voters by matching their Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or identity proof with the voter slips issued by the Election Authority. This measure aims to prevent the infiltration of fake voters into polling stations.

CPIM's appeal to the CEO of Tripura underscores their commitment to safeguarding the democratic process. They have raised concerns about potential outsider interference and called for robust measures, including BSF vigilance and identity verification at polling stations, to ensure the fairness and transparency of the upcoming by-elections in these border constituencies.

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