Alleging election manipulation in Tripura, the INDIA alliance stated that the “tall talks” and promises made by the Election Commission of India have become teethless today.

The alliance said that it was surprised to see the utter failure of the election commission to help a sizeable number of electorate to exercise their franchise.

The INDIA bloc in Tripura has requested the Election Commission to invalidate the elections for the West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency and Ramnagar assembly constituency in the state due to “election manipulation”

Citing large scale instances of poll manipulation through booth jamming, intimidation and proxy voting, the opposition parties in a joint press conference demanded fresh polls in both the seats.

In a joint letter by the INDIA alliance in Tripura comprising eight political parties asked the Election Commission to intervene and arrange fresh polls in both constituencies.

They emphasized the need for an atmosphere where the democratic rights of the electorate are protected and confidence in the electoral process can be restored.

“BJP has organized pre-planned all out rigging and made the election to Tripura West (Gen) Parliamentary constituency and bye-election to 7-Ramnagar Assembly constituency a complete farce,” the letter mentioned.

“The BJP has started threatening dire consequences if any one dares to discharge responsibility as polling agent of the INDIA Bloc candidate in Parliament and Assembly constituencies since the closure of the open campaign for the above- mentioned two constituencies,” it added.

The INDIA bloc alleged that most of the polling agents of the INDIA alliance were driven out from the polling booths in the early hours of starting of casting of vote.

It added that even the people whom the BJP had misturst in were thrown out of the queue and threatened.

“Areas after areas, the BJP political hoodlums have started preventing the identified voters from coming out of their houses. Moreover, the BJP hoodlums have resorted to throwing out the voters whom BJP has doubt or lack of political trust from voters’ queue including physical torture in barbaric manner”, INDIA bloc stated in the letter.Urging the election commission, to countermand the polls in West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency and Ramnagar, the INDIA bloc, in the letter wrote, “Under the circumstances stated above, we, on behalf of the thousands and thousands of deprived electorate, have justifiably raised the genuine demand to the Election Commission to countermand both the election held today, i.e. 1-Tripura West Parliamentary seat and bye-election to 7-Ramnagar Assembly seat.”Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Friday across 102 parliamentary constituencies spread over 21 States and Union Territories as the mega seven-phase electoral exercise commenced at 7:00 am.The second phase will be held on April 26 and the remaining phases will be May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1 accordingly. The last general elections in 2019 were also held in seven phases.