Tripura CPI(M) has accused the ruling BJP of using armed intimidation to force candidate nomination withdrawals ahead of the urban local body elections. Demanding immediate State Election Commission intervention, the opposition urged disciplinary action against the Ambassa Returning Officer and sought enhanced police protection for all candidates before the deadline.
In a sharp escalation of political confrontation ahead of the upcoming urban local body elections, the principal opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) has lodged a formal complaint with the State Election Commission (SEC), alleging that ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadres are systematically coercing opposition candidates into withdrawing their nominations. The Left front has demanded prompt corrective measures, strict surveillance, and disciplinary action against administrative officials allegedly complicit in these irregular practices.
In a comprehensive memorandum addressed to State Election Commissioner P. K. Chakravarti, CPI(M) Tripura State Secretary Jitendra Choudhury detailed widespread patterns of harassment, armed intimidation, and physical coercion targeting candidates nominated by opposition parties across multiple municipal bodies. Choudhury asserted that these actions threaten the core integrity of the democratic process scheduled to culminate in polling on November 27.
Among the most serious incidents cited by the Left party was an alleged armed raid on the residence of Sujit Ghosh, the CPI(M) candidate fielded from Ward No. 9 of the Ambassa Municipal Council. According to the memorandum, a group of armed individuals affiliated with the ruling party barged into Ghosh’s residence, compelled him under duress to accompany them to the office of the Returning Officer (RO), and forced him to sign a withdrawal notice against his will.
The CPI(M) heavily questioned the conduct and impartiality of the Ambassa Returning Officer, pointing out that Ghosh’s withdrawal paper was accepted despite the date falling on a notified public holiday. Invoking Rule 11(c), Sub-rule (1) of the Tripura Municipalities (Conduct of Election) Rules, 1995, Choudhury highlighted that statutory electoral norms explicitly establish that if the deadline for the withdrawal of candidature coincides with a public holiday, it must automatically shift to the succeeding working day. By processing the withdrawal on a holiday under apparent duress, the party argued, the RO committed an overt procedural transgression. Consequently, the opposition has urged the commission to immediately remove the officer from election duties and institute strict disciplinary proceedings.
The complaint underscored that such intimidation was not confined to Ambassa alone. Reports of similar pressure tactics emerged from South Tripura’s Belonia Municipal Council. Groups comprising 15 to 20 ruling party supporters reportedly converged on the residences of CPI(M) nominees contesting Wards 5, 6, and 17, issuing explicit threats of bodily harm and severe retribution if their candidatures were not immediately renounced.
Drawing parallels to previous electoral cycles, Choudhury invoked the fatal attack on Badal Shil during the 2024 panchayat elections, reminding the authorities that targeted political violence against contesting opposition candidates carries severe historical precedent in the state. The Left leadership asserted that similar unchecked aggression during nomination filing in at least five urban bodies had already undermined candidate security, with local police and administrative wings failing to establish a neutral environment.
To safeguard the remaining electoral process prior to the withdrawal deadline, the CPI(M) submitted a series of urgent directives for the SEC’s consideration. Chief among these is a guideline instructing returning officers not to accept any withdrawal applications when a candidate is escorted by members of opposing political camps. Instead, the Left urged that withdrawals should only be acknowledged if the candidate appears independently or is accompanied by authorized leadership from their respective sponsoring party.
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Furthermore, the opposition has pressed for immediate, dedicated security arrangements outside the residences of vulnerable opposition candidates to thwart last-minute kidnapping or coercion attempts. Copies of the comprehensive representation have been forwarded to the Director General of Police and the Chief Secretary of Tripura to mandate immediate statewide administrative compliance.
