The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared the completion of the first phase of the 18th Lok Sabha election in Tripura as free and fair, but the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc has raised serious allegations of foul play.
During a press conference held at the Agartala Press Club, Congress leader Ashish Kumar Saha and CPI (M) leader Ratan Das, both candidates of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, alleged widespread irregularities. They asserted that opposition polling agents were barred from entering numerous booths, with some facing intimidation and threats from BJP workers.
Furthermore, they claimed that voters, particularly minorities in bordering areas, were prevented from casting their ballots.
Saha and Das further accused the BJP of deploying outsiders to cast proxy votes, exacerbating concerns over the integrity of the electoral process. Left-front convener Narayan Kar echoed these sentiments, demanding re-polling in both the West Tripura parliamentary constituency and the Ramnagar assembly constituency.
Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman criticized the election commission, stating that inadequate security measures had allowed the election process to be marred by irregularities.
A delegation from the I.N.D.I.A. bloc met with the Returning Officer of the West Tripura PC, Dr. Vishal Kumar, to address their concerns, urging him to ensure peaceful voting.
