Brazen Mockery of Democracy and Attacks on Opposition Candidates in Tripura Local Body Elections

CPIML Tripura State Secretary Partha Karmakar has given a memorandum to the state election commission in Agartala requesting immediate intervention to ensure free and fair participation of all parties in the ongoing local body elections. Opposition party candidates are attacked and obstructed from filing nominations in these elections by the BJP in an organised manner to ensure unopposed victory to BJP candidates. This open goondaism is going on unchallenged with the tacit as well as direct support of the state administration.

CPIML candidates were assaulted and prevented from submitting their nomination papers to the Returning Officer (BDO) of Matabari Block Under Gomati District by BJP goons on 18 July. The candidates namely Najir Miah Sarkar, Rafik Miah, Tajel Miah, Tajer Islam Khadim of Pashchim Khilpara G.P. along with proposers of each candidate were obstructed and physically assaulted and as a result they couldn't submit nomination papers to the Returning Officer. No police persons were seen there to maintain law and order when these candidates were obstructed and dragged out from the gate of the Returning Officer's Chamber. Najir Miah Sarkar became unconscious after the assault.

Partha Karmakar has asked the State Election Commission to allow all such candidates in the various parts of the state to resubmit their nomination papers to ensure a free and fair election.

The pervasive pre-poll violence is taking place with impunity in Tripura to stop opposition candidates from filing nomination in panchayat elections and ensure unopposed victory of BJP candidates in as many seats as possible.

The Constitutional bodies and democratic setup are being murdered in every step of the election process of the three tier Panchayat general election 2024 in Tripura. To save the Constitution and democracy in Tripura is an urgent call from the people in the state. Here are some details regarding the ongoing election process:

1) The three tier Panchayat General Election, 2024 in Tripura was announced by the State Election Commission on 10th July and accordingly the final electoral roll was published on 26th May. The elections will be held on 8th August and voting will be held for 6,370 seats in 606 gram panchayats, 423 seats in 35 panchayat samitis at block level and 116 seats in 8 zilla parishads at district level. The counting will be held on 12 August. 12,94,153 voters will exercise their right to vote (Male voters 6,58,445 and Female voters 6,34,697) in these elections.

2) In the process of elections, Returning Officers conducted all party meetings at block and district levels. In the month of June and up to 11 July all party meetings were held in many blocks where the representatives of opposition parties like CPI(M), Congress, CPI(ML) were obstructed and dragged out from the chamber of BDO's and even physically attacked by the BJP goons. In Boxanagar, Salema, Jirania, Bamutia and Tepania blocks this type of planned attacks were organised against opposition leaders one after another. But there was no one to protect them inside the block premises. No police and paramilitary forces were there for routine security arrangements for conducting the meetings peacefully. ln Tepania block at Udaipur Subdivision under Gomati District CPIML, Congress and CPIM leaders were assaulted in front of OC and SDPO on 11 July.

3) On 5th July State Election Commission met a CPIML delegation which submitted following demands for the peaceful and fair conduct of election:

• a) Introduce online submission of nomination papers including scrutiny by the Commission or the State EC should open alternate counters at every DM Office for filings of nomination papers for the seats of the gram panchayats and panchayat samitis. The WB state government had already introduced online submission of nomination papers in the last panchayat election.

• b) Adequate central paramilitary forces should be deployed in every step of the elections.

• c) Free, fair, smooth and peaceful elections must be ensured.

• d) Provide adequate security to the candidates so that they can submit nominations easily and can move freely throughout the election process.

But the Commissioner rejected all the proposals.

4) In the last panchayat elections held in 2019, out of total seats won by BJP 95% were unopposed where the opposition parties couldn't file nomination papers due to organised terror throughout the state.

5) Due to pervasive terror throughout the state the candidates from opposition parties couldn't submit their nomination papers in most of the blocks. Every day from 11 July to 18 July from dawn to dusk the miscreants of BJP seized the block premises including the chambers of returning officers so that the opposition candidates wouldn't be able to enter into the block office. The Commissioner, Secretary, DGP, DMs, SPs did nothing as if they all were obliged to carry out the orders from the BJP leaders.

On 12 July Sri Badal Shil, one Zilla Parishad candidate of CPI(M) was brutally murdered allegedly by the BJP goons in a local market area at Belonia subdivision. The opposition party candidates were attacked and physically tortured by goons in 23 blocks. State Secretary of CPI(ML) and one block committee member Sri Santosh Das were attacked in Tepania block 11 July. The miscreants took away the nomination papers of CPIML candidates. This attack happened in front of OC of RKPur PS, SDPO of Udaipur subdivision and returning officer in the block. On 18 July, the last date of submission of nomination papers, CPIML candidates Najir Miah Sarkar, Rafik Miah, Tajel Miah, Tajer Islam Khadim and Abid Hossen were physically assaulted with taking away the nomination papers by the miscreants of BJP in Matabari block office.

6) The Criminals of BJP pelted stones at the Leader of the Opposition in the state Sri Jitendra Chowdhury along with CPIM candidates and proposers in many blocks including Satchand, Poangbari, Dukli, Bishalgarh, Salema, Durga Chowmuhani and Boxanagar. Veteran Congress leader and seven time MLA Sri Sudip Roy Barman along with some candidates and proposers of Congress were attacked with stones and wounded on 18 July in front of Tepania block. Congress party's offices at Bishalgarh and Udaipur were vandalised and set on fire. One house of Congress party worker Jahirul Islam at Bishalgarh P.S. set on fire in daylight by BJP goons. Many village vendors and small shops of opposition party candidates were set on fire.

7) The first round of the panchayat election which is the submission of nomination papers has already turned into a farce. At some places opposition candidates could file nomination papers after valiantly resisting these obnoxious attacks on themselves and on democracy.

In Panchayat samitis the opposition parties couldn’t file nominations in 190 seats and in Zilla Parishads the opposition parties didn't file nominations in 2 seats. As a result BJP has already won 65% gram panchayat seats unopposed before the voting takes place.

So far, a total 4,541 seats in all three tiers have been rendered unopposed for the BJP. In the 13 blocks including Bogafa, Jolaibari, Tepania, Rajnagar, Boxanagar, Nalchar, Dukly, Charilam, Bamutia, Durga Chowmuhani, Jirania, Old Agartala and Kalyanpur, BJP has already won all panchayat samiti seats and all gram panchayat seats.

8) A PIL has also been filed in the High Court demanding extension of nominations for three more days. The High Court has favourably observed that the State EC can introduce online submission of nominations and that the EC should frame the rules accordingly. And proper security should be provided to the candidates.

9) Now after the scrutiny of nomination papers the candidates are being forced to withdraw their nominations.The proposers are also being forced to put pressure upon the candidates, and many nominations have been withdrawn by the candidates. In the given situation more candidates will be compelled to withdraw nominations on the last date of withdrawal 23 July. The election is going to be a farce.

10) During the last six years of BJP rule in Tripura there has been deep criminalisation of politics and brazen attacks on democratic rights. The RSS and BJP are fanning communal hatred against religious minorities and divisive politics among linguistic nationalities. All the ultra nationalists, fundamentalists, communal and fanatic forces in the society are being given free hand by the current regime. 

The people are living under fear devoid of their constitutional rights as a citizen. The Panchayat elections 2024 is going to be a farce in Tripura. The citizens can't exercise their voting right freely in a fair and peaceful atmosphere.