Polling agents forced out of booths, voters face intimidation during district council polls: Tripura BJP Ministers

Amid the ongoing elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) on Sunday, April 12, BJP leaders in the state have alleged incidents intimidation, and obstruction of polling agents at several polling stations.

The election of TTAADC has started from 7 am this morning in 28 seats.

Speaking about the election Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury claimed that BJP polling agents were forcibly removed from polling stations in Kuyai Chanbari under the Jirania constituency.

He stated that after receiving information about the incident, he, along with local party leaders, visited the area and contacted both the administration and local tribal leaders. Following intervention, BJP polling agents were reinstated. However, similar complaints surfaced again, with reports of outsiders gathering near polling stations and creating disturbances.

Chowdhury emphasized that while voters have the democratic right to cast their votes freely, no polling agent should be prevented from performing their duties. 
He further alleged that such incidents were being reported from different parts of the state and termed them unacceptable. 
He added that if people vote based on development, the BJP would emerge victorious, asserting that tribal communities have realized development is possible only under BJP governance.

Meanwhile, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that voter turnout has been high due to favorable weather conditions. However, he alleged that BJP polling agents were absent from at least five polling stations in the Simna-Tamakari constituency under West District.

He also claimed that in the Bondhujungnagar-Wakinagar constituency, polling agents were missing from one booth. According to Nath, there were reports of voters being initially prevented from casting their votes in some areas, although administrative intervention later ensured voting took place.

Additionally, he mentioned incidents of intimidation and threats, and alleged that a vehicle belonging to a BJP candidate was attacked in the Mandwi constituency.