BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 30th March 2026: Leader of the Opposition in Tripura, Jitendra Chaudhury, on Monday submitted a letter to the State Election Commission (SEC), urging that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) without Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems should not be deployed in the upcoming Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections. He also called for legal action against Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma over an allegedly objectionable statement made during an election campaign.
Chaudhury, who also serves as the CPI(M) state committee secretary, stated that findings from the First Level Checking (FLC) of EVMs conducted by Returning Officers (ROs) indicate that older EVM units without VVPAT attachments are likely to be used. He noted that this aligns with concerns he had raised in an earlier communication.
Highlighting the ongoing national debate over the reliability of EVMs, he pointed out that public confidence in the machines is significantly higher when VVPAT systems are used. He further argued that despite elections being conducted in other states, there should be adequate availability of updated EVMs equipped with VVPAT through the Election Commission of India.
The Opposition leader also expressed concern over a recent remark made by Minister Bikash Debbarma at an election rally in Bachaibari, under Khowai sub-division, on March 28. According to Chaudhury, the minister stated that votes cast for Tipra Motha would ultimately benefit the BJP, which he described as misleading and undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
Calling the statement inappropriate, Chaudhury alleged that it reflects a lack of respect for democratic procedures and the authority of the Election Commission.
In his letter, he demanded that all polling stations use updated EVMs with VVPAT, registration of an FIR against the minister for the alleged remark, a ban on his participation in further campaigning, and the convening of an all-party meeting to address election-related concerns previously submitted by the Left Front on March 24.
