Tripura LoP urges CS's intervention for peaceful Panchayat polls, alleges attack on party workers

The Tripura Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury on June 7 wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary of Tripura Jitendra Kumar Sinha urging his intervention to create a peaceful and conducive atmosphere for holding upcoming Panchayat elections in the state.

Chaudhury, who is also the Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA has written this letter after a number of CPIM workers, leaders were allegedly came under attack while attending all party meetings in view of the upcoming polls.

“.……it is being observed with deep regret and serious concern that since day one of its preparation a desperate attempt is on to vitiate the amicable, peaceful, conducive and congenial atmosphere for conduct of free and fair election process, throughout the state. Couple of undesired incidents has already taken place at various places of the state”, the letter reads.

In the letter, the CPIM MLA claimed that on June 6, all party meetings were convened by most of the BDOs to discuss on various pre-election agenda. But unfortunately, in number of blocks the opposition political parties were compelled to remain unrepresented due to the prevailing unusual situation. 

“At the Boxanagar RD Block CPI(M) representative was brutally attacked and physically assaulted in front of the BDO's Chamber and in presence of the local MLA, even before they could enter into BDO's chamber, which, I do not know, how this incident shall be explained by your good administration! Another similar sort of incident took place at Salema of Dhalai District too. Again, on that same day, another gang of goons attempted attack on the CPI(M) and Congress representatives at the Durga Chowmuhoni RD Block of Dhalai District,” he alleged.

He said that none of the aforementioned incidents are sporadic or isolated ones, rather all these manifestations are nothing but part and parcel of some well-coordinated and well concerted, deeper conspiracy, planned and being acted upon by the ruling party of the state, just to vitiate the peaceful, congenial and conductive atmosphere for holding free, fair and fear-free Panchayat General elections, by disrupting level playing field for opposition political parties, as well as by terrorising voters, in general, as it happened in the previous Panchayat election held in 2019, where 96 percent seats were won uncontested by the ruling party i.e., BJP candidates, perhaps as an all-time record in the history of independent India!

“Therefore, considering gravity of the issue, I would like to request your personal initiative and intervention in this regard, so that, henceforth peaceful, congenial and conducive atmosphere may be ensured throughout the state for the sake of free, fair and fear-free conduct and completion of the upcoming Panchayat election in the state”, the letter added.