Tripura ruling partners continue tussle over panchayat poll nomination

Agartala, Sep. 11 (IANS): Tripura’s ruling partners, the BJP and IPFT, continued their tussle over the filling of nomination for the September 30 panchayat polls, resulting in clashes, police said on Tuesday.
“At least 15 members of the BJP and IPFT were injured in the intra-party clashes and subsequent police lathi charge at Boxanagar late Monday evening. The clashes broke out when IPFT members went to file nomination papers ,” a police official said.

The official said that bombs, explosive materials, sticks were hurled between the warring groups forcing the police to open fire in the air.
Due to the conflict that lasted several hours, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) candidates could not submit their nomination papers within the official time.

“On Monday night, IPFT members attacked the residence of Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Birendra Kishore Debbarma and assaulted his wife and others at Golaghati,” the official said.

Debbarma was not at home during the attack.
A huge contingent of central-paramilitary, Tripura State Rifles and police forces were deployed in conflict-hit areas across the state.
Police said that more clashes between rival political groups occurred over filing of nominations in Khowai, West Tripura and Sipahijala districts on Tuesday.

The by-elections to a record number of 3,386 vacant seats of gram panchayats (3,207 seats), panchayat samitis (161) and zila parishads (18) were necessitated by large-scale resignations of elected representatives of Left Parties and death of some representatives.

Last week, Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath, also the Chairman of BJP’s panchayat election committee, announced that they would field candidates for all the 3,386 vacant seats.

The IPFT leaders did not support the announcement.
Meanwhile, life was paralysed on Tuesday over the IPFT-sponsored 48-hour shutdown at Killa tribal areas.
The IPFT called the two-day strike demanding nomination of their party leader as Chairman of the Killa Block Advisory Committee (BAC).

Put off panchayat polls in Tripura — CPI-M, Cong.

Opposition CPI-M and Congress have urged the Tripura State Election Commission to defer the September 30 panchayat polls as there is “no democratic atmosphere” for free and fair local bodies’ elections.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) members led by party’s West Tripura district secretary Pabitra Kar on Tuesday held a demonstration in front of the State Election Commission office.

The Congress had held similar demonstration on Friday.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has denied the charges.

“There is no law and order problem in Tripura now. CPI-M leaders must see their faces in the mirror about what they did during their 25-year rule,” BJP spokesman Mrinal Kanti Deb told the media.

CPI-M Tripura state secretary Bijan Dhar said since the issuance of notification of panchayat elections on September 4, “BJP backed anti-social elements have unleashed a reign of terror all over the state to prevent opposition parties from contesting the elections.”

“The situation is not conducive for free and fair polls. So, the process of the panchayat elections must be deferred. All candidates should be given adequate security,” said Dhar, also a CPI-M central committee member.

Clarifying that the Left parties would not boycott the elections, the CPI-M leader said BJP workers have attacked several all-party meetings in the BDO (Block Development Office) offices, snatched nomination papers and other documents from a large number of CPI-M candidates.

Tripura Pradesh Congress President Birajit Sinha in a separate press conference raised a similar demand to defer the September 30 panchayat elections.
“Not only the opposition party leaders and members were attacked by BJP workers, the supporters of the junior partner of the ruling party, IPFT, too were attacked,” Sinha said.

The by-elections to a record number of 3,386 vacant seats of gram panchayats (3,207 seats), panchayat samitis (161) and zila parishads (18) were necessitated by large-scale resignations of elected representatives of Left parties and death of some representatives.

Braving BJP attacks, Tripura CPI-M collects donations for Kerala

Opposition CPI-M leaders and workers, braving a series of attacks by the ruling BJP workers, have collected Rs 23 lakh for providing relief to the people of flood-hit Kerala, the party said here on Tuesday.

“Facing many attacks, CPI-M leaders and members during August 21-31 have collected Rs 23 lakh from across Tripura for the relief of the flood affected people of Kerala. The collection was sent to the Relief Fund of Kerala Chief Minister,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) central committee member Bijan Dhar told the media.

He said that during the collection of money from various shops, markets, common people and individuals, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadres attacked CPI-M activists in 23 places and in three places snatched away the collection boxes.

“Objecting to the CPI-M collecting money for the Kerala people, BJP workers had attacked Khowai and Sepahijala district committee offices and many houses of party members who joined the collection efforts,” said Dhar, who is also the state secretary of CPI-M.

He said that at least 15 CPI-M members were injured in the BJP attacks from August 21-31.
The Left leader said that many organisations including those of bank and LIC employees have also donated funds for Kerala people. BJP denied the CPI-M’s accusations.

“No BJP men attacked the CPI-M people during the fund collection drive. Some common people who had suffered during the Left’s 25-year regime might have objected to the CPI-M’s acts,” BJP spokesman Mrinal Kanti Deb said.