BJP-IPFT clashes over filing nominations for rural bypolls

AGARTALA: The last day of filing nominations for rural byelections in the state was marked by violence, leaving several injured. BJP has been accused of perpetrating violence on cadres of the Indigenous People's Party of Tripura - its tribal ally in the government - as well as Congress and CPM party workers on Tuesday.
Ruling partners BJP and IPFT have turned opponents in the byelections, to be held to 3,207 gram panchayat seats, 161 panchayat samiti seats and 18 zilla parishad seats on September 30.
The violence at Boxanagar in Sepahijala district of West Tripura broke out during filing nominations on Monday. BJP workers allegedly threw crude bombs at IPFT workers who then reportedly retaliated. Both the parties have denied the allegations and accused each other of the violence. Seven workers from both the parties got injured in the clashes and police had to resort to tear-gas shelling and lathicharge to diffuse the tension.
Later, the tension spread to other places. Incidents of violence were reported from Dukli in West Tripura, Durga Chowmuhani block of Dhalai district, Kumarghat of Unokoti district and Jubarajnagar of North Tripura on Tuesday. According to police, 16 party workers of BJP, IPFT, Congress and CPM were injured in these clashes.
On Tuesday morning, a violent mob beat up a truck driver in Gournagar area in Khowai district after the truck ran over a youth in the morning. The driver took shelter in a TSR camp but the mob beat him up and also attacked the vehicle. Later, the district administration imposed Section 144 of CrPC in the area.
Sources said BJP cadres prevented the opposition and also IPFT from submitting nomination papers in many places. The BJP workers allegedly tried to snatch away the nomination papers, leading to clashes. Police had to resort to lathicharge and teargas shelling to diffuse tension.
In separate press conferences, CPM state secretary Bijan Dhar and Congress president Birjit Sinha demanded that the state election commission (EC) should extend the date of receiving nominations and ensure adequate security for candidates. Both the parties urged the EC to defer the September 30 panchayat polls as there is "no democratic atmosphere" for free and fair elections in the state. They also blamed the EC for its "failure" to provide security to the candidates at the time of filing nominations. "The situation is not conducive for free and fair polls. So, the process of the panchayat elections must be deferred. All candidates should be given adequate security," said Dhar.
CPM members, led by the party's West Tripura district secretary Pabitra Kar, on Tuesday held a demonstration in front of the state election commission office. The Congress had held a similar demonstration on Friday.
Sinha said BJP cadres have been threatening their party workers and preventing them from filing nominations. "Not only the opposition party leaders and members were attacked by BJP workers, the supporters of the junior partner of the ruling party, IPFT, too were attacked," Sinha said.
Denying all the allegations, BJP spokesman Mrinal Kanti Deb told the media, "There is no law and order problem in Tripura now. CPM leaders, without complaining, must see their faces in the mirror about what they did during their 25-year rule."
Meanwhile, clashes between BJP and its ally IPFT have also escalated at the block level, with the tribal party having called a bandh in Killa block of Gomati district accusing its senior party of stepmotherly attitude. IPFT has been demanding for itself posts of chairmen in 27 block advisory committees (BAC) but BJP has reportedly turned down the demand. A week ago, IPFT workers had protested over the same issue in Lefunga block of Mohanpur following clashes between the cadres of both the parties.