Left Front Demands Rescheduling of Panchayat Bypolls in Tripura, Alleges BJP of Threatening Left Candidates

Agartala: The opposition Left Front staged a strong protest and retaliation against the upcoming Panchayat by-elections in over 3,000 seats that are slated to take place on September 30.

The Left accused that many candidates were unable to file nomination papers due to attacks, threats and intimidation by the BJP.

Accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of putting pressure on candidates representing the CPI in the upcoming Panchayat by-polls, the opposition Left Front in Tripura demanded rescheduling of the panchayat by-elections.

Following the accusations, the Left Front in Tripura has also demanded for an all-party meeting to be held under the aegis of the State Election Commission to discuss the issue come to a necessary conclusion.

It may be mentioned that a four-member delegation representing the Left that consisted of CPI leader Ranjit Majumder, All India Forward Bloc leader Raghunath Sarkar, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) secretary Sudarshan Bhattacharya and CPI(M) central committee member Gautam Das earlier met G.K. Rao who is the Tripura State Election Commissioner and forwarded the memorandum consisting their charter of demands.

As per the Election Commission of India’s report, Panchayat by-polls in Tripura would be held against 3,207 seats in gram panchayats, 161 seats in panchayat samitis and 18 seats in zila parishads as these posts are left empty after a wide-scale resignation of office bearers shortly after the BJP-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura coalition took the reign of power in Tripura.

Earlier this month, same demands were made by the Congress, including other political parties like the IPFT, the junior alliance partner of the BJP.

CPI(M) spokesperson Goutam Das in a press conference in Agartala told Media Persons that, “several candidates, mostly from opposition parties, and even IPFT couldn't file nomination papers due to physical attacks and intimidations by the ruling BJP miscreants in block premises.”

Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Manik Sarkar alleging that there has been a rampant misuse of power by the ruling party and it can be termed as the ‘Slaughter of Democracy’ in Tripura.