Tripura civic polls: Left Front alleges nomination blocks, seeks CPMF

The Tripura Left Front has told the State Election Commission (SEC) that opposition candidates are being threatened and physically stopped from filing nominations for the urban local body (ULB) elections, and has asked for central paramilitary forces to be deployed until the polls are over, India Today NE reported on Saturday.

Nominations for the 21 urban bodies opened this week. Polling is on 27 November and counting on 2 December, under the schedule notified by the SEC.

What the Left Front alleges

In a letter to the State Election Commissioner, Left Front convener Manik Dey said fears raised by opposition parties at an earlier all-party meeting were now coming true. Among his allegations:

• At Jirania, no opposition representative could attend an all-party meeting called by the Returning Officer, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, for the Jirania Nagar Panchayat. Dey alleged a Congress representative was assaulted by BJP supporters on his way to the office and forced to turn back.
• At Kamalpur in Dhalai district, CPI(M) candidates who had gathered at their party office to go and file papers together were allegedly surrounded and warned of serious consequences.
• At Mohanpur in West Tripura, roads leading to the Returning Officer's office were allegedly blocked to stop CPI(M) candidates.

Dey said a similar situation prevailed around Returning Officers' offices in Jirania, Kamalpur and Mohanpur, and that photographs had been attached to the complaint.

These are allegations made by the Left Front. The BJP's and the SEC's responses to the specific complaints were not available in the report.

What it wants

The Left Front has asked the commission for three things: police escorts for opposition candidates going to and from Returning Officers' offices in Kamalpur, Jirania, Ranirbazar, Mohanpur, Udaipur, Santirbazar and Bishalgarh; protection for candidates, their families and homes after nominations are filed; and deployment of Central Paramilitary Forces in all urban body areas until the election ends. It also wants approach roads to the nomination offices secured.

The 2021 background

Dey pointed to the 2021 civic polls, when the BJP won every seat in several bodies, including Kamalpur, Jirania, Ranirbazar, Mohanpur, Udaipur, Santirbazar and Bishalgarh, without a contest. He alleged opposition candidates had been prevented from filing papers then, and urged the commission to make sure it did not happen again.

Chief Minister Manik Saha has said the BJP will contest all 21 civic bodies on its development record. NEInsider will update this story if the State Election Commission responds.