By TC News Desk
Agartala, 12th August 2024: In a strongly worded letter to the State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday, Tripura CPIM state secretary and leader of the opposition, Jitendra Chaudhury, raised serious concerns over alleged disturbances at the counting center for the Gram Panchayat (GP) election in Kathalia, Sepahijala District. Chaudhury described the situation as both “disturbing and unbelievable,” highlighting reports that surfaced from the scene.
According to the reports, as CPI(M) candidates were leading in several seats, a group of individuals allegedly linked to the ruling BJP entered the counting hall armed with deadly weapons, including daos, sharp cutters, sticks, and iron rods. “The armed miscreants attempted to assault the opposition’s counting agents,” Chaudhury claimed in his letter, adding that the CPI(M) agents narrowly escaped with their lives.
Chaudhury expressed shock that such an incident could occur despite the supposed presence of a strong security cover at the counting hall. “This is a black instance of dacoity of the people’s mandate by the armed ruling miscreants,” he stated, condemning the security lapse.
Further allegations were made regarding the refusal of Returning Officers (ROs) to declare results in several seats where counting had already been completed, particularly in those where the opposition had won. Chaudhury suggested that the BJP might be pressuring the ROs to recount votes in opposition-held seats in a bid to manipulate the results in their favor during the night.
In light of these serious concerns, Chaudhury called on the SEC to take immediate action. He urged the commission to halt the counting process at Kathalia Block and ensure the secure preservation of ballot boxes. He also demanded the immediate declaration of results where counting had been completed and requested additional security deployment in all counting halls to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
“The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated,” Chaudhury emphasized, appealing to the SEC to intervene swiftly to safeguard the democratic process in the state.
