A three-member delegation from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM, led by State Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, met with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to voice their concerns and demands for ensuring the fairness and integrity of the upcoming bye-elections in the 20-Boxanagar and 23-Dhanpur assembly constituencies.
Addressing the media after the meeting, CPM State Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury stated that the CEO had provided assurances that all necessary precautions would be taken to guarantee free, fair, and peaceful elections. Former minister Manik Dey and Haripada Das were also part of the delegation.
According to the memorandum presented by the CPM, there are apprehensions regarding the presence of outsiders in the Dhanpur and Boxanagar areas on the day of the bye-election. The CPM delegation alleged, “the ruling BJP had already occupied all the hotels, guest houses, and marriage halls in Sonamura town and adjoining areas to accommodate their outsider workers, and they have been active in both Assembly seats since August 8th.”
It’s important to note that while Sonamura town does not fall within the poll area, it serves as the entry point to both of the poll-bound assembly seats. The CPM leaders also pointed out the existence of a camp at Bar Narayan under the Dhanpur constituency, where hundreds of outsiders are already operating.
In their memorandum, the CPM requested the CEO to ensure that no outsiders are present in government guest houses and private hotels by September 2. Their demands also included strict vigilance at check posts, heightened surveillance by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the border, and the deployment of paramilitary forces at the entry points of each polling station to prevent the entry of fake voters.
