Two micro-observers, 3 presiding officers of West Tripura suspended

Agartala, April 30 (PTI): Two micro-observers and three presiding officers of the West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency were suspended for “willful insubordination and dereliction of duty” on April 11 when polling was held in that seat. The Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) of West Tripura, Sudhakar Shinde, issued a notification in this regard on Monday, which was made available to reporters on Tuesday. Opposition parties like the Congress and the CPI (M) have alleged large scale rigging by the ruling BJP in West Tripura seat and demanded re-poll in many booths. The saffron party, however, denied the charge. The five suspended officials are micro observers Prof Sangram Sinha and Bhasan Chandra Das, and presiding officers Promode Chandra Das, Gautam Debnath and Giridhari Das. Prof Sinha who was appointed as the micro observer for Debipur Gram Panchayat Office did not report incidents of poll interruption or poll violation, which can be termed as “willful negligence of election duty”, the ARO said in a letter to Returning Officer Dr Sandeep Mahatme. Another Micro Observer, Bhasan Chandra Das, who was appointed for Brajapur Higher Secondary School, had neither informed the general observer about booth capturing and violation of poll process, nor he highlighted the matter in the feedback report, the ARO pointed out. The three presiding officers were suspended on similar charges, he informed the returning officer. Though the officials did not report these irregularities, they came to light during the scrutiny of webcam footages and various documents, sources in the election office said. The ARO has lodged an FIR against the officials on Saturday, police said. After the election in West Tripura, the EC had postponed polling in East Tripura, the other Lok Sabha seat in the state, from April 18 to April 23 saying “The law and order situation prevailing... is not conducive to the holding of free and fair poll”. Cong delegation meets EC, demands fresh polling in West Tripura seat A Congress delegation met the full bench of the Election Commission in New Delhi and demanded fresh polling in West Tripura seat alleging large scale rigging by the ruling BJP, senior party leader said on Tuesday. Elections in West Tripura seat was held in the first phase on April 11. We met the EC full bench on Monday and demanded countermanding of the elections in the West Tripura constituency because the polls were heavily rigged by the BJP supporters,” Tripura PCC president Pradyot Deb Burman told reporters here. The Congress leaders who met the EC included Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, party candidate from the constituency, Subal Bhowmick besides Deb Barman himself. Bhowmik said that the ECI was informed about booth jamming and violence due to which Congress election agents couldnt enter 900-1,000 polling stations out of 1,679 of the constituency where polling was held in April 11. A decision on it would be taken shortly, Deb Burman said. After the election in West Tripura, the EC had postponed polling in East Tripura, the other Lok Sabha seat in the state, from April 18 to April 23 saying “The law and order situation prevailing... is not conducive to the holding of free and fair poll”.