AGARTALA | The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Thursday questioned the use of the October 2021 electoral roll for the upcoming municipal elections and demanded the deployment of additional Central forces to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling.

Addressing reporters in Agartala, Tripura Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha alleged attempts to influence the electoral process and urged the State Election Commission and the administration to ensure transparency and impartiality throughout the polls. Saha stressed that every eligible voter must be allowed to exercise their franchise without obstruction. He also questioned the decision to use the 2021 voter list as the basis for the forthcoming civic elections.

The Congress leader raised concerns over the implementation of the seat reservation roster, alleging that repeated changes in the process could benefit a particular political party. He demanded that seat allocation strictly adhere to the applicable laws and prescribed norms.

Seeking stronger security arrangements, Saha said the Congress had submitted a list of sensitive and highly sensitive polling booths to the administration and requested additional Central forces. He alleged that the party had not received satisfactory assurances from the State Election Commission regarding its demands.

Calling for a neutral and transparent election process, the PCC chief urged the commission to take necessary measures to prevent irregularities and ensure that the people’s mandate was accurately reflected in the results. On the possibility of an electoral understanding with the CPI(M), Saha said discussions were continuing within the Congress and a decision could be announced in the next couple of days.

He said defeating the BJP was the Congress’s primary objective in the municipal elections, while indicating that the party was exploring the possibility of cooperation with the Left. Saha also accused the BJP-led government of misgovernance, corruption and administrative bias, claiming that public dissatisfaction was growing in both the state’s hill areas and plains.

He reiterated that credible electoral rolls, fair implementation of reservation rules and adequate security arrangements were essential to conducting the municipal elections in a free and peaceful atmosphere.