GUWAHATI: Tripura Congress president, Birajit Sinha has termed the intimidation and threats on Opposition party nominees of the September 30 panchayat polls, allegedly by BJP workers, an “attack on democracy” triggering a law and order breakdown amid demands by parties to defer the elections.
Alleging that several Congress candidates were not allowed to submit their nomination papers, Sinha rued that such use of force to prevent candidates of the Opposition to contest elections only exhibited an attitude and approach of the ruling party that intends to malign a democratic process.
“Such incidents have never happened before. Armed youths are attacking the houses of our party leaders and issuing threats against contesting the poll. This is a serious case of law and order breakdown that calls for President’s Rule. Even its ally, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, was not spared as candidates of the party were not allowed to submit nomination papers,” the Tripura PCC chief told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
State Election Commission sources have informed that while the ruling BJP has been able to submit nomination papers in all the 3207 seats of gram panchayats, Congress has been able to file papers in just 120 seats and IPFT in only 63 seats.
The last date for filing of nomination papers was on Tuesday while the scrutiny of the papers were done on Wednesday.
Asked how the current scenario changes the equation for the Congress, Sinha said, “The people of Tripura had voted out CPM and welcomed BJP in the Assembly elections, hoping that there would be a transformation after years of Left rule could not improve the condition of the state. However, having witnessed the way candidates have been barred from filing nomination papers, I would imagine that they would be taken aback by what the ruling party has done. There is no atmosphere for peaceful elections.”
He said more than 75 CPM and dissident BJP workers of the state had joined Congress in the past two and half months, which augured well for the party.
“As people of the state are disgruntled with both CPM and BJP, our perception is that they are welcoming the Congress in the state,” the veteran leader said.
Concerned at the state of affairs, IPFT leaders held a meeting on Wednesday and reviewed the poll scenario besides hinting on a rethink on the alliance with the ruling party if the attacks continued.