Agartala: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Tripura has written to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Puneet Agarwal, calling for precautionary measures to ensure a transparent and equitable by-election in the 20-Boxanagar and 23-Dhanpur Assembly constituencies.

In a recent development, a CPIM delegation, consisting of three prominent leaders – CPIM MLA Jitendra Chaudhury, former minister Manik Dey, and CPIM leader Haripada Das, held a meeting with the CEO of Tripura, delivering the aforementioned letter.

“From the experiences of earlier bye-elections held in 2022 in 4 Assembly seats, we like to draw the following matter to you for taking preventive measures beforehand for the sake of free and fair election. It was observed that, in the last bye-elections, particularly in the 8-Town Bordowali Assembly seat, the ruling BJP had come to a tacit understanding with the police through the then DCP Mr VS Jadav, that the outsider workers deployed by BJP in the poll-bound areas were given free hand to terrorize the voters. The police were directed that the persons wearing yellow or white ribbons in hand or having Tilak on their forehead should not be touched. They were given whatever according to their whims. In this way the bye-election in 8-Town Bordowali Assembly seat was reduced to complete farce”, the letter reads.

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It further reads that though Sonamura town is not under poll area, this is the entry gate to both the Assembly seats where bye-elections are going to be held.

They claimed that the ruling BJP has already booked hotels, guest houses, and marriage halls in Sonamura town and nearby areas to accommodate their out-of-town workers. They have been operating in both Assembly seats since August 8th, the day the election was announced, the CPIM said.

“Similarly at Bar Narayan under Dhanpur AC, a very big camp has been running since the beginning where hundreds of outsiders are operating. The outsiders from each of the government guest houses and private hotels including those at Sonamura town may be flushed out by 2nd September next. The check posts must be maintained strictly. The Panchayet Training Institute at Bishramganj is reported to be packed with BJP workers from various parts of the state. This also must be vacated early. To prevent any havoc on the poll day by these outsiders camped in different places, the Election Authority should take appropriate measures”, the letter informed.

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They have demanded that as both the election-bound assembly seats are situated along a long strip of international border with Bangladesh, the BSF may be asked to keep the strictest vigil along the border to prevent infiltration.

“The paramilitary forces to be posted at the entry point of each of the polling stations may be asked to confirm the identity of each voter by matching their EPIC or Identity Proof with that of the voter slip supplied by the Election authority. This is necessary to prevent intrusion of any fake voters into any polling station”, it added.