Tripura Civic Polls: 74% Turnout Till 3 PM, TMC Alleges Unfair Means by BJP

The turnout for the Tripura civic elections held on Thursday, 25 September, was nearly 74 percent as recorded till 3 pm, according to the state election commission.

The civic elections began at 7 am on Thursday, amid allegations by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M), and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) claiming that workers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were going around on motorcycles and intimidating their candidates, NDTV reported.

The CPI(M) and TMC have also claimed that not all voters were allowed to enter polling booths.

.@BjpBiplab's goons doing what they do best - creating an atmosphere of terror, preventing people from voting, beating up candidates!!!

In Ward Number 7, BJP is so fearful of losing that they're now stopping voters who were simply going to exercise their right! Watch 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/WeuKLktNmb

— AITC Tripura (@AITC4Tripura) November 25, 2021

Voting is taking place in 644 booths in 13 civic bodies in Tripura. The CPI(M) was in control of the civic body in its last tenure.

CPI (M) Leader Writes to SC, Demands Fair Elections

Hours before voting for municipal bodies began, CPI(M) leader Jitendra Chaudhary on Wednesday had rushed to the Supreme Court to seek its intervention in ensuring free and fair civic body elections.

Chaudhary also sent a letter to Tripura DGP VS Yadav, saying, “Large number of miscreants are intruding into those areas at the behest of ruling BJP and indulging into terrorising the houses of the opposition supporters with dire consequences, with the threat not to move to the polling stations tomorrow on 25 November 2021,” Hindustan Times reported.

Meanwhile, TMC convener Subal Bhowmik was reported as saying, “There is no reflection of improved law and order in the state even after the Supreme Court directed to ensure a peaceful and fair election”.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, had rejected the TMC’s request to postpone the civic body polls but told the police to submit within two days an action-taken report on incidents of violence in the BJP-ruled state.

The election is being held virtually under the Supreme Court's watch.

The assistant inspector general of police had said in a statement in Tuesday, “After the directions of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, additional 15 sections of CRPF are also being provided for the Agartala municipal elections and outside,” Hindustan Times reported.

(With inputs from NDTV and Hindustan Times.)