Left tally gallops even before polls - Opposition cites violence

Agartala, June 27: The ruling Left Front has secured a strong position before the panchayat elections in Tripura slated for July 15, winning 70 out of the 591 gram panchayats uncontested.

In addition, it has already won 33 seats in panchayat samitis and two in zilla parishads.

There are 6,111 seats in 591 gram panchayats, 419 seats in 35 panchayat samitis and 116 seats in eight zilla parishads. Sources in the state election commission said out of the total 6,646 seats in the three-tier system, the Left Front has won 905 seats without any contest.

“After the process of withdrawal of nominations finished yesterday, elections will now be held in 5,741 seats of the three-tier panchayati raj system on July 15. The polls will be held on paper ballots and not EVMs this time and the counting date is on July 18,” said an official of the state election department.

Opposition parties — the Congress, the BJP and the Trinamul Congress — have made allegations of violence perpetrated by CPM cadres on their workers and supporters.

Yesterday, a Trinamul Congress delegation led by state chairman Ratan Chakraborty, president Surajit Dutta and central committee member and senior advocate Arun Chandra Bhowmik met the state election commissioner Y. Kumar to inform him on the “threat, intimidation and terror” being perpetrated on party workers and supporters by CPM cadres.

Speaking to mediapersons later, Ratan Chakraborty said in many areas in South Tripura, Gomati, Sipahijala and Unakoti districts, CPM cadres had initially tried to prevent Trinamul candidates from filing nominations.

“Despite threats and intimidation, our candidates filed nominations but now campaign is on to prevent our candidates from campaigning. We have cited specific instances in our memorandum to the commission and hopefully it will look into the matter of security for our candidates and workers,” he said.

State BJP president Sudheendra Dasgupta had earlier informed the commission on the alleged attacks on BJP workers and supporters in many areas of the state.

“After the NDA victory in the Lok Sabha election, hundreds of CPM workers and supporters have jointed the BJP and this has sparked panic in the Left ranks. So their cadres are attacking us. But we will resist their efforts and strengthen the party in Tripura,” he said.