Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: Tripura Congress leaders took to the streets in Agartala on October 1 to demand the arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha led the sit-in demonstration outside the Pradesh Congress Bhavan alongside MLA Gopal Chandra Roy and other party officials. They claim democratic rights in the state have withered since 2018 under the ruling BJP.
Saha alleged that voters faced systemic obstruction while trying to reach polling stations. He stated that those who did cast ballots often faced immediate harassment from ruling party supporters. The party accuses the BJP of rigging votes and weaponizing the security administration to influence election results. Saha believes the government enacted laws specifically to shield the Election Commission from legal accountability.
Addressing the CEC directly during the demonstration, Saha issued a stark warning. "Be prepared. The day the situation changes in this country and state, that is the day you will have to go to jail," he declared. The protest marks another escalation in an ongoing campaign against the Election Commission. Local leaders further claimed the government ignores unemployed youth and permits organized looting despite promises of zero tolerance for crime.
Updated at 2nd October 2026 at 2:00am
The protest, organized by the Congress Seva Dal, saw additional high-ranking party figures in attendance, including CWC member and MLA Sudip Roy Barman. Party leaders expanded their grievances beyond general election conduct, pointing to specific irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. They claimed officials are deleting eligible voters while adding ineligible names, and they are now calling for an impartial probe into these rolls across multiple states.
Congress leaders also took aim at Chief Minister Manik Saha for defending the Election Commission's role instead of launching an inquiry into the party's allegations. The scope of their accusations now encompasses a broader range of past contests, including panchayat, ADC, village council, and Lok Sabha elections, which the party argues failed to reflect the true public mandate. Beyond electoral disputes, the party cited fresh grievances regarding the salaries of government employees and the persistent police crackdowns on unemployed youth attempting to stage their own protests.
Updated at 2nd October 2026 at 5:49pm
The protest organizers, the Congress Seva Dal, specifically targeted the integrity of electoral rolls during the demonstration. Party leaders demanded an independent, multi-state investigation into claims that officials are purging eligible voters while stuffing the rolls with ineligible names.
Congress officials also blasted Chief Minister Manik Saha for shielding the poll body instead of ordering an inquiry into the allegations. Beyond the ballot box, the party took aim at the administration over unresolved salary disputes for government staff and accused police of using heavy-handed tactics to crush protests by unemployed youth.
Comments