Tripura Pradesh Congress protests against the Election Commission near the CEO office, demanding accountability over alleged electoral irregularities. Congress leaders warn of intensified agitation, raise concerns over democratic institutions, and announce plans for a larger statewide movement in Tripura.
The Tripura Pradesh Congress on Friday staged a protest against the Election Commission of India, accusing the poll body of undermining democratic processes and warning that the party could intensify its agitation across the state in the coming days.
The demonstration was organised near the Chief Electoral Officer’s office at Office Lane in Agartala. A large number of Congress leaders, party workers and supporters participated in the programme and raised slogans against the Election Commission. Protesters also set fire to an effigy of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as part of the demonstration.
The protest was led by senior Congress leaders, including Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashish Kumar Saha. Addressing the gathering, Saha demanded the resignation and arrest of Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that recent actions of the Election Commission had raised serious concerns about the functioning of democratic institutions.
Saha also criticised the BJP-led Tripura government over several issues affecting different sections of society. He alleged that the concerns of teachers, unemployed youths, government employees, labourers and farmers were not receiving adequate attention. He said the Congress would continue organising programmes to highlight what it described as the grievances of ordinary citizens.
During his address, the TPCC president referred to alleged irregularities associated with elections in West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra and Haryana. He questioned the legal safeguards available to Election Commission officials and argued that such protections should not prevent accountability when, according to the Congress, democratic norms are allegedly compromised.
The Congress leader also raised the issue of ongoing protests by TET and STGT-qualified candidates and other unemployed youths in Tripura. He alleged that police action, including the use of water cannons and force, had been directed against protesting candidates instead of resolving their demands related to employment.
The Congress maintained that the concerns raised by job aspirants and other sections of society required political and administrative attention. Party leaders said the latest protest was part of their broader campaign on electoral transparency, employment and public grievances.
The demonstration also saw Congress workers calling for greater accountability from institutions responsible for conducting elections. The party argued that public confidence in democratic institutions must be protected through transparency and adherence to established democratic principles.
Congress leaders further announced that the party’s Working Committee would meet shortly to determine the next phase of its agitation. According to the party leadership, the meeting will discuss further programmes concerning alleged electoral irregularities and other issues raised during the protest.
The Congress indicated that a larger statewide movement could be launched in Tripura in the coming days. The proposed agitation is expected to focus on electoral issues, accountability and what the party described as the need to defend democratic institutions.
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The Friday demonstration therefore marked a fresh escalation in the Tripura Congress’s political campaign against the Election Commission. The party said it would continue mobilising workers and supporters while awaiting a decision on the next phase of its statewide movement.
