CPI(M) meets CEC to voice concerns over BJP’s Tripura campaign

New Delhi, Feb. 8 (PTI): A CPI(M) delegation today met Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat, and accused the BJP of indulging in major corrupt practices in the run-up to the Tripura Assembly elections.
Nilotpal Basu, the CPI(M)’s member of the central secretariat, raised the party’s concerns over an advertisement published on the social media campaign page of the BJP.
“The issue pertains to the announcement made in the social media campaign page of the BJP where an advertisement has been published for non-resident voters from outside the state with a promise for a free train travel to Tripura by showing their voter ID cards, posing this as a ‘gift’ from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This is a clear violation of Section 123 (5) and is punishable under Section 133 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951”, the CPI(M) said in a statement.
The party also alleged that during mock polling with EVMs in part 47 of 41-Ampinagar Assembly constituency, the machine was recording votes for the lotus symbol, regardless of the buttons pressed, it said.
The CPI(M) urged the CEC to ensure that there were no such malfunctions during the polls and at least for 20 per cent of the booths, both EVM records and the VVPAT records be tallied during counting and duly notified, it added.
Urging the Election Commission to address its concern over the alleged entry of a large number of outsiders into the state, the Left party requested the body to take measures to stop non-voters from disrupting peace during the elections, the statement said.
Basu also provided the commission with materials, including a BJP campaign booklet on the Seventh Pay Commission, where the photograph of the governor had been used, and clippings of a film called “Lal Sarkar” which is been screened as part of campaigning by the BJP, it said.
The CPI(M) urged the commission to seize the campaign materials and stop the screening of such clippings, the statement added.