Tripura HC to Hear CPI-M’s Plea for Enhanced Security in Panchayat Elections

The Tripura High Court has allowed a petition filed by the principal opposition party, CPI-M, requesting proper security arrangements for the Left Party’s candidates wishing to contest the upcoming three-tier Panchayat elections.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice SG Chattopadhyay will hear the petition on July 18, 2024.

Speaking to reporters at the CPI-M Tripura state headquarters, convenor of the Left Front and former Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Kar stated, “The CPI-M submitted a petition in the High Court with a four-point charter of demands. The High Court has accepted the petition and scheduled a hearing for July 18.”

Detailing the party’s four key demands, Kar stated, “Our first demand is the introduction of online submission of nomination papers for the Panchayat elections. Secondly, there should be an additional RO in the district headquarters to allow people to submit nomination papers outside of the RO office in Blocks. Additionally, the time frame for filing nominations needs to be extended to prevent loss of time. Our last demand is that the approach road and block office area should be cleared to facilitate hassle-free nomination paper submissions. Proper security arrangements must be made for the candidates. As demonstrated by the attack on our Raj Nagar comrade after he filed his nomination papers, candidates are being forced to withdraw their nominations, which must be stopped.”

Regarding the ethnic violence that erupted at Ganda Twisa, formerly known as Gandacherra, the senior CPI-M leader called for a thorough inquiry to determine the cause of the escalating tension.

As per the former MP, the Tripura government’s top priority should be to rebuild trust among local residents.

“Immediate relief should be provided to all affected families, regardless of their caste. Their homes were burned, and their shops looted. They should be compensated. Police action alone is insufficient to restore public confidence. People have coexisted peacefully for many years. The administration should conduct a proper inquiry,” he added.