After the Supreme Court declined on Thursday the CPI-M’s appeal to allow for an urgent hearing on their writ petition challenging Election Commission’s decision of re-polls in 168 booths for West Tripura parliamentary constituency in Tripura, the Opposition party has decided to participate in the re-polls which would be held on May 12 next.
Also read: Tripura Left Front unhappy with partial re-poll; moves SC for fresh election
This was declared by Gautam Das, CPI-M state general secretary and spokesperson during a press conference of the Left Front at CPI-M headquarters in presence of Left Front convener Bijan Dhar accompanied by other front leaders.
The LF candidate for Tripura West seat and sitting MP Sankar Prasad Datta on Wednesday had filed the writ in the apex court demanding fresh polls in the seat demanding countermanding of April 11 elections.
However, on Thursday the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi rejected to give an urgent hearing on the plea as the court finds no urgency in the petition and remarked, ‘It will be listed as usual’.
Meanwhile, the Left Front brought out a procession on its demand for a fresh election for the Tripura West Parliamentary constituency.
Earlier, the Left Front had expressed it disappointment over the decision of EC to hold re-polls only in 168 booths among the total 1679 booths, whereas the entire polling on April 11 alleging it as a total farce as ruling party with help of their supporters conducted mass rigging and large-scale violence.
According to the Left a substantial number of voters has been denied their right to vote due to rigging and hence shall knock the door of the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, both the Opposition CPI-M and Congress after several complaints demanded a total fresh election in the Tripura West Parliamentary constituency but 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.