BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 2nd April 2026: Agitating against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), the Pradesh Congress has demanded a return to ballot voting and the deployment of central forces in upcoming elections. At a press conference today, party spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty and general secretary Prashant Sen Chowdhury voiced serious concerns regarding the election process in the state.
Chakraborty alleged that since 2018, state elections have been marred by arbitrary use of government machinery and misappropriation of funds. Highlighting the Dharmanagar by-election and the Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections, he claimed that additional EVMs were brought from Madhya Pradesh despite the state having sufficient machines and VVPATs. He further criticized the administration for ignoring demands for enhanced voter security, installation of CCTV cameras, and webcasting of polling booths.
He also accused the ruling BJP of maintaining an “opaque relationship” with the Election Commission, which he said undermines transparency in the electoral process.
Meanwhile, Sen Chowdhury contended that no all-party meeting was convened before the announcement of elections. During a subsequent meeting, he said, it emerged that voting was planned to be conducted using EVMs without VVPAT, which he described as undemocratic. He added that several representations have been made to the Election Commission, urging the deployment of central forces, CCTV coverage, and measures to ensure a transparent and fair voting process.
