Will approach Election Commission if Tripura bypolls are not free and fair, says TMC

Banerjee trained guns at the Congress and said: “Why has the Congress been defeated in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and other states where the TMC has no presence? Why did they extend tacit support to the BJP in Bengal elections last year in their effort to defeat the Trinamool? Mamata Banerjee defeated all these conspiracies and came out victorious. She is the only person in India who can win against the BJP.”

Stating that the TMC faced the maximum amount of political violence at the hands of the BJP in Tripura, Rajib Banerjee said his party’s flags, festoons and poll banners have been damaged and party workers threatened, yet they would not budge from taking on the ruling party in a democratic manner.

Tripura Trinamool Congress president Subal Bhowmik alleged the ECI and the chief electoral officer have failed to uphold law and order in the run up to the bypolls and added that a section of the administration was hand in gloves with the BJP.

Bhowmik said several party candidates themselves could not cast their vote owing to violence during the urban body polls in Tripura last year.

“We reported these incidents to the ECI and told him that there is no ambience for polls in Tripura. The CEO assured us that polls will be free and fair. But since the announcement of the bypolls, we haven’t seen the ECI taking any steps to ensure free and fair polling. If the bypolls are not held in a free-and-fair manner, we shall submit written complaints to the ECI and demand action against Returning Officers or anyone found involved in flouting poll guidelines,” Bhowmik said.

Bypolls are being held in Agartala, Town Bardowali, Surma and Jubarajnagar Assembly seats in the state. Polls were necessitated in these seats since sitting MLAs resigned in the first two constituencies, the legislator at Surma constituency was disqualified after he joined the TMC and former Assembly speaker RC Debnath, who represented Jubarajnagar constituency, died mid-term.