Agartala, Feb. 13: The byelection to Amarpur Assembly constituency in Gomati district of Tripura passed off smoothly and peacefully today with no report of any untoward incident.
Polling began at 7am in 31 polling stations with a large number of traditionally clad voters standing in long queues on a sunlit Saraswati Puja day. Polling was initially brisk but slowed down a bit after 10am. It again gained momentum after noon. Till 3pm, 70 per cent polling was recorded.
"No untoward incident has been reported so far except one case of a fake voter trying to press an EVM in the Mailak area. He was handed over to police," additional chief electoral officer Tamal Mazumder said.
The byelection was necessitated by the expulsion of sitting CPM MLA Manoranjan Acharjee who was forced to resign as an MLA on the charge of molesting a minor.
In today's election, 38,271 voters, including more than 33 per cent indigenous people, cast their ballots. Counting will be taken up on February 16 and the results will be declared the same day.
Leader to be expelled
Former Deputy Speaker of Tripura and four time CPM MLA from Sonamura (1978,1993,1998 and 2003) Subal Rudra, 68, is likely to be expelled from the party on charges of "corruption and immoral activities inconsistent with avowed principles of the party".
Rudra has been directed to make his submission to the three-member control commission of the party and explain his position vis-a-vis the allegations brought against him. Rudra, who had laid the foundation of CPM in Sonamura subdivision in the sixties, got involved in a number of shady financial transactions, including land deals.
Sources in the CPM said two local committees of the party in Melaghar area had filed complaints against Rudra to the Sonamura divisional committee on how he had been encouraging and helping land sharks to grab government land allotted for a housing colony for the poor to be built by the government. Large tracts of the land in Melaghar, named Bhagat Singh Landless Colony, has been grabbed by the land mafia by driving out identified beneficiaries.
Sources said the Sonamura divisional committee conducted an inquiry and found the allegations to be true and put forward the matter to the state committee. The control commission of the party, which looks into allegations against party men, has directed Rudra to appear before it and reply to charges verbally and in writing.
They said whatever reply Rudra may give, he is set to be expelled because there have been longstanding allegations against him.
"Our fight against corruption will continue and the rectification drive will be on regardless of identity or status of leaders," a senior member of the state secretariat said.
