Agartala: Even before completion of Lok Sabha poll process, ruling Left Front in Tripura has begun preparation for holding three-tier Panchayat election slated for July.
The CPI-(M) state committee has held meeting on upcoming Panchayat poll yesterday at party headquarter here at evening to discuss the strategies for the election as well as the controversy over booth capturing and proxy voting in just concluded Lok Sabha election in a few booths.
“Besides, administrative and legal actions, party leaders have had a view to take action against the comrades who were found proxy voting in the video footage and reported to rigged the votes in a few locations,” said a senior CPI-(M) leader attending the meeting.
He however, viewed that party had a strong directives to the leaders and workers to ensure free and fair voting and also to take steps for increasing the margin of the left front nominees because, there had been no effective oppositions in the state.
As a result, the victory of the left front nominees were certain for CPI-(M) in last two major elections – 2013 assembly election where left front won 50 seats in 60 members house and just concluded Loksabha election to two seats of the state.
“We are also embarrassed with the report of unethical acts of a section of party workers but our apprehension, it was an ill-design by the opposition to malign the image of the party to save their skin from commoners rejections in the election, as all the oppositions are concentrated their activities in the capital town and they do not have any presence in the villages,” he pointed out.
Election to 591 Gram Panchayats, 35 Panchayat Samities and 8 Zilla Parishads for next five years is considered to be the main strength of the political parties by which they had been fighting in state assembly and Loksabha.
The party is in a very comfortable position to retain all the seats this time, is ready to put the opposition camp in deeper trouble before Panchayat election. Because CPI-(M) has got more advantage in the Lok Sabha elections as anti-left panel fought separately.
The CPI(M) is expecting a split in anti-Left vote bank in the ensuing Panchayat elections and has become confident to fare well in the elections.
However, the party has strong organizational base in rural and hilly hamlets.
The three-tier Panchayat polls have assumed greater significance this time because it is going to be the first election after administration reorganization of the state undertaken in October 2011.
State Election Commission will publish the draft list of polling stations for upcoming Panchayat polls on April 30.
Claims and objections over the draft list will be accepted till May 6 next.
Public hearings on objections, if any, will be conducted on May 7 and May 8.
The final list will be published on May 13.
Polls would be conducted in 6,111 seats across 3,385 Panchayat constituencies under 591 Gram Panchayats and 419 seats in 35 Panchayat Samities.
The election process would be conducted for 116 seats in 8 Zilla Parishads to elect for next five year. (UNI)