The CPI(M) on Saturday decided to withdraw its candidate from the March 12 by-election to Charilam Assembly constituency in Tripura after its appeal to postpone the polls was not considered by the Election Commission. The party alleged that the situation has deteriorated in Charilam in the last two days after the violence unleashed against its party cadre allegedly by the ruling BJP.
The polling in Charilam (ST) Assembly seat was deferred to March 12 following the death of CPI(M) candidate Ramendra Narayan Debbarma due to cardiac arrest during campaign on February 11.
Tripura’s erstwhile royal family’s scion Jishnu Debbarma, who was recently sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the new BJP-led Tripura Government, is the BJP candidate for Charilam seat. In the 60-member Assembly, the BJP-IPFT combine has 43 seats while the CPI(M) has 16 seats.
A CPI(M) delegation led by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday visited many post- violence-hit areas in the State.
Yechury said the attack on the party offices in Tripura is beyond torching buildings and damaging furniture.
“It is an attempt by the Sangh Parivar to crush ideas and destroy basic Constit-utional tenets. lalit Bazar, Jirania sub-division, a bustling market was terrorised. People who exercised their franchise and not voted for the BJP were attacked. This is BJP’s democratic politics, which we will continue to resist,” he tweeted.
In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, Tripura, the Tripura left Front Committee stated that it has decided to withdraw their candidate from the Charilam constituency election as the Election Commission (EC) has “not considered” its appeal for postponement of the election to the constituency due to various incidents of pre-poll violence.
In the letter to the CEO, Tripura, Bijan Dhar, Secretary, CPI(M), Tripura State Committee and convener, Tripura left Front Committee, stated that on March 8, 2018, it had sought postponement of the election.
Alleging that several offices of the left Front were ransacked in the constituency prior to the election, Dhar said, “In our earlier memorandum submitted to you on March 8 last, we had categorically mentioned the names of 11 party offices of CPI(M) and RSP which were either ransacked, looted, occupied or set on fire.”
Dhar also alleged, “We also mentioned about forcible occupation of two TMSU (Tripura Motor Shramik Union) offices in that constituency. In addition, the memorandum had a list of 58 names of CPI(M) and other left party leaders, cadres and supporters whose houses were attacked, ransacked and looted.”
Dhar also stated that 19 left leaders and cadres were reported to be physically assaulted in the March 8 memorandum.
The letter further stated that “Any election held in such a situation would be nothing but a one-sided exercise and we are sure, it would be a mockery in the name of democracy.” The election campaign was over at 4 pm on Saturday.