BY TC News Desk
Agartala, August 17: CPIM state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury on Thursday wrote a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Puneet Agarwal apprising the violation of model code of conduct (MCC) by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during submission of the nomination papers.
In a two-page letter to the CEO, CPIM state secretary stated “The desperation that the ruling BJP has been showing in the initial stage of the ongoing bye-elections in two Assembly seats of the state, we have reasons to apprehend, If the election authority fails to enforce their command on the violators that would be detrimental to vitiate the entire election.”
“Yesterday, (16.8.2023) while approaching to the office of the Returning officer for submitting of nominations of Left Front candidates, our mass procession was stopped by the police at a certain point, saying beyond that point it was restricted area. Accordingly, our procession stopped there. But I show a big dais was constructed inside the restricted area by the ruling BJP.”
“I drew the matter to the notice of the CEO, who informed the matter to the DEO of Sepahijala District. In the evening DEO himself also talked to me and assured me that no violation of MCC would be allowed to happen in any stage of the election. But, BJP leaders and most of the ministers including the Chief Minister used that dais today to address the people gathered on the occasion of submission of nomination of BJP candidates”, he added.
Chaudhury said “On 8th August last, the day when the ECI declared bye-election in the state, I wrote a letter to the DEO, Sepahijala District urging for removal of all publicity materials containing achievements of the BJP government from the Sepahijala District where MCC was imposed immediately after declaration of bye-election. But till now we find that hardly any such publicity materials was removed.”
“It is unfortunate that, being a ruling party in the state, which should have been responsible and respectful to the adherence to the MCC, are willfully violating it for garnering electoral benefits”, he added.
CPIM state secretary Chaudhury is expecting that as the chief of the election administration of the state, he would sincerely exert his authority to ensure level-playing opportunity to the all stake-holders and order an investigation of the violation of MCC and take appropriate action against the violators.
