Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: Tripura Left Front Committee leaders are calling for central intervention to stop widespread obstruction of opposition candidates. Convener Manik Dey sent a letter to the State Election Commission claiming threats are keeping hopefuls from filing nomination papers for the upcoming Urban Local Body elections. The situation is volatile. Dey insists that the Commission must act immediately to guarantee a fair process.
Reports of intimidation are mounting. In Jirania, alleged BJP supporters reportedly assaulted a Congress representative, forcing him to flee before reaching the Returning Officer. Similar blocks are hitting Kamalpur and Mohanpur. CPI(M) candidates in Kamalpur found themselves trapped inside their own party office. Intimidators threatened them with serious consequences if they tried to submit their paperwork. Roads to the Mohanpur office remain blocked.
Dey fears a repeat of the 2021 election cycle where opposition candidates were blocked across multiple towns. He noted that in the previous polls, BJP candidates secured all seats uncontested in Kamalpur, Jirania, Ranirbazar, Mohanpur, Udaipur, Santirbazar, and Bishalgarh. The Left Front submitted photographs as evidence of the current interference. Dey stated, "The committee has sought three key measures from the Commission."
The Left Front demands police escorts for candidates travelling to offices in the affected districts. They also requested round the clock security for candidates and their homes to prevent retaliatory violence. Finally, they want Central Paramilitary Forces deployed throughout all urban areas until the votes are counted. The Commission must now decide how to secure the roads and protect the vote.
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