Lok Sabha elections: In Tripura, Left Front, Congress fear violence in Phase 2, appeal to voters to resist attack

A delegation of the Tripura Left Front committee, led by convener Bijan Dhar, Sunday met Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti and complained of gross violation of the code of conduct during the first phase of elections on April 11

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Voters stand in a queue in front of a polling station in Agartala on April 1. (Express Photo)

Terming the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Tripura ‘rigged’, the state Left Front on Sunday said it is apprehending violence during polling hours on April 18 when East Tripura (ST reserved) constituency is scheduled to undergo election in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls. The Left Front also appealed to voters to put up strong resistance against any attack.

A delegation of the Tripura Left Front committee, led by convener Bijan Dhar, Sunday met Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti and complained of gross violation of the code of conduct during the first phase of elections on April 11.

“The CEO promised us that he would oversee a free and fair election. But he has failed in his job. We told him that and requested him to ensure free and fair polls on April 18,” Dhar told reporters, adding that the poll violence in Tripura under BJP-IPFT regime has surpassed that under the Congress-led-coalition government in the state during 1988-1993. The Congress-TUJS government was the last non-Left government in Tripura until BJP-IPFT alliance took over in 2018

Dhar said the Left alliance hoped election authorities would strive to maintain the law and order during the second phase of the parliamentary polls. “We appeal to all the voters to go to the booths, cast their votes without any fear and strongly resist any attack. Voters should act as per the situation. If they (BJP) bring cannons, they should be responded with cannons,” Dhar said. The Left Front also said it would organise a mass sit-in demonstration at Orient Chowmuhani in Agartala on April 16 to protest against alleged attacks, violence and rigging in Lok Sabha polls.

Tripura Congress spokesperson Harekrishna Bhowmik also raised similar concerns and said that a delegation of the party has met election commission officials in New Delhi and appealed to them to provide central security forces to all 1,645 polling booths of East Tripura constituency on April 18.

The Congress party also accused BJP of attacking Congress workers in the first phase and apprehended violence in the second phase as well.

BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya, however, refuted all the allegations against the party and said BJP supporters are being attacked in different parts of the state by the CPI(M) and Congress supporters. “The opposition parties have failed to put up election agents. They are detached from the public. Their appeal to resist is actually an attempt to spread violence and a verbal tonic to estranged supporters,” Bhattacharya retorted.