After allegations of EVM malfunction and poll rigging, the Election Commission has ordered re-polling in 168 booths in West Tripura. Re-polling is scheduled to take place between 7am and 5pm on May 12. The EC ruled that the polling that had taken place here previously was void. The decision was made in light of reports submitted by the Chief Electoral Officer, Special Observer and the Returning Officer concerned.
The state of Tripura has two parliamentary constituencies; Tripura East and Tripura West. The latter is where re-polling will take place. Tripura West has a total of 1679 polling stations. Tripura East too has had a bumpy ride this election season with violence marring polls. In fact the EC had to defer polls in East Tripura from April 18 to April 23. In fact, even on that day there were reports of EVM glitches.
Earlier, leaders of CPI (M) had written to the EC alleging rigging of polls at hundreds of booths in West Tripura. The party’s veteran leader Nilopat Basu had expressed “deep sense of disappointment and anguish” over the manner in which Election Commission has presided over the elections held in Tripura West constituency on April 11, adding that such a level of subversion has rarely taken place in the country.
Shankar Prasad Datta, the CPI (M) candidate from Tripura West had written to the Returning Officer of Tripura West parliamentary constituency demanding re-polling 846 polling booths. He drew attention to the fact that their complaints stand vindicated as the District Magistrate and Collector of West Tripura district announced the lodging of an FIR against the people responsible for the reported rigging in certain booths which happened with the alleged involvement of polling agents and even polling officials.
Even local leaders of the Congress party had raised concerns that the EC is being pressurised by the BJP. Tripura Congress vice president Pijush Kanti Biswas had told Indian Express, “We have got information that PM Modi and ruling BJP is trying to influence the ECI and pressuring the poll body to ensure repolls in as few polling stations as possible. If the ECI failed to perform its duties under pressure by the Prime Minister, we shall move the Supreme Court seeking legal recourse.” They too had demanded repolling in over 850 seats, saying they would move Supreme Court if their request was not granted.