Cong delegation meets EC, demands fresh polling in West

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 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".