In Tripura, they rigged votes in name of bypolls: Mamata

KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the violence that occurred in Tripura on Thursday after bloodshed and rigging marred the bypolls.

Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, said: "We have seen that in the name of elections, they were busy rigging votes. After the Bengal elections, these same people were crying for NHRC's intervention. These stories need to be told to the public."

The All India Trinamool Congress on its Twitter handle also criticised the way the by-elections were conducted in Tripura. It also termed it a 'death of democracy'. "Tripura saw the death of Democracy in the bypolls today! Our Hon'ble Chairperson @MamataOfficial condemns the violence and booth capturing that ensued in Tripura. When will @BJP4India take accountability for their actions?" tweeted All India Trinamool Congress. Banerjee also asserted that BJP might have the mafia and muscle power now but one day they will be out of power.

A police constable who was going to cast his vote suffered a stab injury in the hands of the BJP-backed miscreants. Journalists, Opposition candidates and the general people were also attacked during the bypolls.

Trinamool Congress alleged that mass-scale rigging occurred in the four poll-bound constituencies Agartala, Town Bordowali, Surma, and Jubarajnagar.

Panna Deb, TMC candidate from Agartala was harassed. Women voters were obstructed from entering booth no. 49 and 59. BJP workers gathered outside booth numbers 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 52, 53, and 54. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha's constituency — Town Bordowali saw maximum violence and complaints of rigging with no accountability from the ruling BJP. It may also be mentioned that the BJP Yuva Morcha vice-president Vicky Prasad and his goons barred people from entering the polling station.

A journalist was brutally assaulted near a polling station in Town Bordowali when he went to report the rigging. Vote rigging was reported in booth numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 28, 35, 36, 39, 41, 42, 51, and 52 as well.

TMc spokesperson, Kunal Ghosh said that Tripura CM has no moral right to remain in his post after Thursday's incident and he must resign. Ghosh further stated that Trinamool Congress will come to power in Tripura in the next Assembly elections. "BJP goons launched attacks on Trinamool activists in the past few days also," Ghosh added. BJP realised that Trinamool is the real challenger. They unleashed terror in the election in fear of losing, he said.