Tripura bypolls: Alleging large-scale rigging, CPI(M) announces boycott of counting

Alleging that the Election Commission did not take steps to prevent large-scale rigging in the Tripura by-elections, the CPI(M)-led Left Front announced that it will boycott the counting of votes.

The polling for the by-elections to the Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly seats in Sepahijala district was held on Tuesday. An average turnout of 86.50 per cent was recorded in the two seats.

The Left Front alleged that large-scale rigging happened during the polling.

"We drew the attention of the Election Commission right from the beginning of the polling. But, the sorry state of affairs was that no steps were taken to prevent the large-scale rigging," Left Front convenor Narayan Kar alleged on Wednesday night.

The Left Front demanded cancellation of the election, and announcement of fresh polling, but the EC refused to take any steps in this regard, he said.

"The motive of the EC is amply clear. In this situation, what is the point of joining the counting of votes, scheduled for September 8? Therefore, we have decided to boycott the counting," he added.

The by-election to the Boxanagar constituency was necessitated by the death of CPI(M) MLA Samsul Haque. Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik's resignation as the MLA of Dhanpur necessitated the by-election in that seat.

BJP's Tafajjal Hussain is contesting against CPI(M)'s Mizan Hussain from the Boxanagar seat. It has 66 per cent minority voters of a total of 43,087 electors.

In the last assembly elections in February, the CPI(M) retained the seat.

The Dhanpur assembly constituency, once considered a stronghold of the Left, witnessed a fight between the BJP's Bindu Debnath and Kaushik Debnath of the CPI(M). There are 50,346 voters. The BJP won the seat for the first time in the assembly poll held seven months ago.

The Congress and the Tripra Motha did not field their candidates in the two seats for the bypolls.