BJP's Tripura win raises eyebrows

Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura swept the three-tier Panchayat polls, the elections for which was held on July 27 last and the results were announced on August 1.

The party has won 98 percent seats in the Panchayat polls, of which a whopping 86 percent was an uncontested victory for the saffron party.

The success of the party has raised eyebrows of the Opposition parties whose leaders alleged that muscle-flexing and intimidation of voters had contributed to the party's landslide win.

The apprehension of the Opposition leaders is not entirely baseless. It may be recalled that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had ordered polling across 168 booths of Tripura West parliamentary constituency as void and ordered a re-polling on May 12. Polling was held on April 11.

Both CPI(M) and Congress had accused the BJP of misconduct, booth capturing and intimidation of voters. Eleven companies of the Border Security Force and four of the Central Reserve Police Force had been deployed to keep the law and order situation under control.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP had highlighted the number of uncontested seats won by the TMC in the Panchayat elections by resorting to violence whereas the party is silent on winning 86 percent seats in Tripura uncontested.