Agartala, 30th October 2026 : The Tripura unit of the INDIA bloc on Friday staged a massive protest rally in Agartala, accusing the Election Commission of India of undermining electoral transparency and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Leaders of the opposition alliance also asserted that the BJP would face defeat in future elections if polls were conducted in a free and fair environment.
The rally was led by former Chief Minister and senior CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar, Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury, Tripura Pradesh Congress president Asish Kumar Saha, Congress MLAs Gopal Chandra Roy and Sudip Roy Barman, along with leaders and supporters of eight political parties associated with the INDIA bloc.
Addressing the gathering, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman alleged that changes to election-related laws and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process had raised serious concerns about the fairness of elections. He demanded the cancellation of the SIR process, the inclusion of eligible voters’ names in electoral rolls, restoration of the earlier law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners, and accountability for officials accused of electoral irregularities.
Roy Barman claimed that the INDIA bloc would continue its movement to safeguard democratic rights and ensure that the people’s mandate was properly reflected in election results. He also predicted the BJP-led government’s defeat in the coming elections.
Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury, meanwhile, described the protest as a united movement to protect the Constitution, democracy and the national tricolour. He alleged that several constitutional and investigative institutions had been weakened over the past 13 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Chaudhury further accused the Election Commission of failing to uphold its constitutional responsibilities and argued that opposition parties must unite to defend democratic institutions.
The rally brought together leaders and supporters from multiple opposition parties, with the INDIA bloc seeking to turn its concerns over electoral processes into a broader political campaign across Tripura.
