CPI(M) meets CEC on Tripura polls

The CPI(M) today urged the Election Commission (EC) to look into the allegations of presence of "outsiders" and malfunctioning of EVMs during the Tripura Assembly elections.
CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu met Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat and raised the party's concerns regarding the Tripura polls. Elections in the state were held on Sunday.
He also gave the EC a letter from the CPI(M)'s Tripura secretary to draw its attention to incidents of alleged attacks, intimidation, preventing people from going to polling booths and also malfunctioning of EVMs.
"Despite expressing our concerns over the presence of outsiders, major display of money power and on the functioning of EVM-VVPAT units, some substantial issues have come forth in the course of polling.

"To further highlight the issues, we are urging your immediate intervention on these critical questions," the CPI(M) said in a statement.
Bijan Dhar, the party's Tripura secretary, in his letter to the EC alleged that out of the 3,174 booths in the state, malfunctioning of EVMs were reported from 519 and even after replacement many failed to function.

The CPI(M) had also alleged that on the evening before the polling day, some ECL engineers had opened ballot units in some areas.
"Such opening of machines were not required in any of the assembly segments where polling was held on 18.2.2018. CPI(M) candidate and his election agent vehemently protested against this to the RO (Returning Officer).

"From the CPI(M) state committee office clarification was sought from the chief electoral officer, who said that due to shortage of engineers they had started checking these EVMs from the pre-poll day evening. But why such check up of EVMs was required only in the Dharmanagar constituency was not clarified. This is still a mystery," the letter said.
The Left party also alleged that its polling agents and voters were prevented from entering booths, and that the BJP had brought outsiders during the elections.
"On the poll day, BJP leader and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was found visiting the booth offices of his party at 4-Barjala (SC) constituency. One Ajoy Sharma, so called 'Bistarak' of the BJP, Assam unit, was arrested in 34-Rajnagar (SC) constituency from the house of BJP worker Ranjit Sarkar.

"Many BJP workers from outside the state were at many BJP offices including their state headquarters," CPI(M) alleged.
The party claimed that the CEC had assured them to "seriously look into their concerns".