Agartala, May 8 (PTI): The Election Commission has ordered a repoll at 168 polling stations out of 1,679 polling stations in West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency, an election official said Wednesday.
Repoll in polling stations spread over 26 of the 30 assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency will be held on May 12, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanti said.
Polling in the constituency was held on April 11 last and opposition CPI-M and the Congress had demanded repoll in the entire constituency, alleging large-scale rigging by the BJP during voting on April 11.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the EC’s decision, Congress vice-president Tapas Dey said, “We were surprised to find that repoll was ordered only in few polling stations. We have no other alternative but to move the Supreme Court.”
BJP spokesperson Ashok Sinha said, “EC is the judge and they have every right to declare re-polling.”
State secretary of the CPI-M Gautam Das said, We wanted fresh elections in the constituency. We are not satisfied with the EC order. Many voters who could not exercise their franchise in other polling stations of the constituency due to alleged rigging would be deprived.”
In his appeal to political parties, candidates, polling officials and police personnel, the CEO said they should demonstrate on May 12 that “We can do it in a nice and positive environment.
Meanwhile, additional paramilitary contingents have started arriving in the state for deployment during the re- poll exercise.
State election department officials said central forces would be deployed in all the polling booths.
The CEO said webcams will be set up in all polling stations.
The EC on Thursday had removed West Tripura District Magistrate Sandeep Namdeo Mahatme, who was the Returning Officer of West Tripura Lok Sabha seat.
Mahatme was replaced by East Tripura RO and District Magistrate of Dhalai, Vikash Singh.
EC’s decision on Tripura falls short of expectations — CPI (M)
The decision of the Election Commission on Wednesday to conduct repolling in 168 booths in West Tripura constituency has “fallen short of expectations”, the CPI(M) said and claimed that a substantial number of voters has been denied their right to vote due to rigging.
It was after several complaints by political parties that the poll body ordered a repoll at 168 of the 1,679 polling stations, almost a month after polls were held in West Tripura seat on April 11.
The EC said that repoll in polling stations spread over 26 of the 30 assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency will be held on May 12.
“The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deep sense of disappointment over the Election Commission of India’s order to hold the elections void in 168 booths for the Tripura West parliamentary constituency and hold re-poll in these booths. There had been widespread rigging and prevention of voters exercising their franchise by the ruling BJP during polls held on April 11.
“We firmly hold that this order is not in consonance with the ground reality and obviously too little and too late in ensuring a free and fair poll where more than half the electorate was actually unable to exercise their right to vote,” a statement from the party said.
Alleging that the EC had only “partially” considered the complaints made by political parties and individuals about large-scale rigging and illegality, the statement said that the order will “signal, on the one hand, acknowledgement of rigging on a major scale and yet falling short of the expectations that the ECI will deliver justice for the voters of the constituency who could not cast their votes.”
“Nothing short of a re-poll for the entire Tripura West parliamentary constituency will serve the purpose of a free and fair poll and protecting the rights of the voters,” it said.
