Tripura village committee poll delay shows BJP’s ‘fear of people’: Jitendra Chaudhury

Tripura Leader of Opposition and CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury on September 23 alleged that the delay in holding village committee elections for five years reflected the BJP-led government’s "fear of the people", particularly those living in areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

Chaudhury was addressing an election rally organised by the CPI(M) Gandachhara Sub-Divisional Committee at Gandachhara Bazar in Dhalai district ahead of the upcoming village committee elections.

Before the rally, CPI(M) workers and supporters took out a procession from outside the party's Gandachhara sub-divisional office. The procession passed through different parts of the market before culminating in a public meeting.

Chaudhury alleged that the government had deliberately avoided holding the elections for political reasons and claimed that the polls were scheduled only after a political party approached the Supreme Court.

The CPI(M) leader further alleged that the ruling dispensation had already suffered a "moral defeat" ahead of the elections and questioned its right to seek votes from the people.

He also said the money being spent on the village committee elections belonged to the people and the state and not to political parties such as the BJP, IPFT or Tipra Motha.

"If public money is spent, it must be spent according to law," Chaudhury said.

He accused the BJP-led government of weakening democratic institutions and alleged that public funds had been misused during the prolonged absence of village committee elections.

Chaudhury said the upcoming polls would provide people in the ADC areas an opportunity to express their views on the functioning of the government and the administration.

The allegations made by the CPI(M) leader could not be independently verified.