Agartala : , Nov 25, 2005 – Officials claim that more than 80 percent of the 5 lakh Tripura voters exercised their rights in the civic elections in Tripura on Thursday amid allegations of widespread political violence. Officials of the State Election Commission (SEC) claim that while there were no major incidents in the state, the opposition parties, including the CPI-M, and the Trinamool Congress, claimed that violence, intimidation, and booth capturing occurred on Thursday.
This was the first time that Tripura has been a state since 1972, when it became a full-fledged entity.
Due to alleged widespread malpractices and booth-capturing, the CPI-M demanded that elections be countermanded in five civic bodies as well as in 10 seats in four local bodies.
A statement by the police headquarters on Thursday stated that, except for a few incidents in Agartala or Melaghar no major incident had been reported from any state part.
A total of 4,934,041 voters, including 2,49778 women, were eligible for votes in the Agartala Municipal Corporations, (AMC), and other civic bodies, such as Nagar Panchayats and Municipal Councils.
However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has already won a majority in seven civic bodies in five district.
Thursday’s elections saw the election of 51 seats in AMC, 171 seats in seven Municipal Councils, and six Nagar Panchayats.
Despite allegations of violence by Opposition parties in pre-polls, the ruling BJP won 112 (34%) of the 334 uncontested seats in the AMC, 19 urban local bodies in Jirania and Ranir Bazar in western Tripura, Santir Bazar in southern Tripura, Kamalpur (northern Tripura), and Udaipur (southern Tripura).
A total of 785 candidates from various parties, including the BJP and the CPI-M–led Left, the Trinamool and the Congress are vying to win 222 seats in AMC and other civic organizations.
The Counting of Votes will take place on November 28, according to the CPI-M and Trinamool Congress leaders, candidates, and election agents.These demonstrations were organized separately by the CPI-M and Trinamool Congress leaders and candidates to protest against alleged malpractices of the BJP.
The BJP however, dismissed all allegations.
In Agartala, 50 Trinamool leaders and workers were taken into custody, including the state party chief Subal Bihowmik.
After the elections, CPI-M state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury & Left Front Convener Narayan Kar demanded countermanding the elections to the five civic body and re-polling for 10 seats in other civic bodies.
“Despite being directed by the Supreme Court and High Court, the State Election Commission (and the police) did not take any steps in order to conduct free and fair elections.
Chaudhury stated to the media that the Director General of Tripura Police, despite telling the top court there are sufficient forces in Tripura, didn’t deploy the central forces properly in order to help the ruling party do the malpractices.
Leaders of the CPI-M stated that they would inform the apex court regarding the violation of its order, by the state machinery.
After receiving a petition from CPI-M and Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha member Sushmita dev, the Supreme Court ordered that the Tripura Police ensure that no political party was prevented from exercising its rights to campaign for Thursday’s municipal elections in peaceful fashion.
The Tripura High Court also gave similar directions following petitions from CPI-M.
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