This story is from May 19, 2019

Tripura HC notice to EC on CPM's fresh poll demand

Tripura HC notice to EC on CPM's fresh poll demand
Representative image
AGARTALA: The Tripura high court has sought a reply from the Election Commission (EC) on a writ petition filed by CPM's Tripura West candidate, Shankar Prasad Datta, seeking fresh election in the Lok Sabha constituency.
Justice Arindam Lodh issued the notice to EC on Saturday seeking its response by Monday.
Datta had filed the writ on Thursday in HC on the direction of Supreme Court, where he had sought an intervention for fresh election in Tripura West on the grounds of large scale irregularities and manipulation of poll process in the first phase of polling on April 11.

However, EC counsel Shaktimoy Chakraborty told the court that the poll panel would submit a "counter reply" to the original writ petition. The court granted the counsel's request and fixed Tuesday as the date for next hearing.
The CPM candidate in his writ petition had sought fresh election in Tripura West claiming around 50% voters of the constituency could not cast their vote on April 11 due to large scale rigging, booth capturing and intimidation. The petition also mentioned that the returning officer, too, had filed adverse report on polling in 433 booths.
The EC, however, in a meeting with a Congress delegation on Friday made it clear that there is no scope of holding fresh polls in Tripura West as special observer Vinod Zutshi had overruled the initial report of the returning officer citing irregularities in 433 booths.

Five days after the polling, Tripura West returning officer Dr Sandeep M Mahatme in a report had stated that election process was vitiated in 433 out of 1,679 polling stations. He mentioned that many polling officials had reported irregularities in 65 booths while 368 booths did not have video footage of around nine hours.
While reviewing the footage and reports of presiding officers and micro observers, the returning officer was convinced that polling officials had not reported the alleged malpractices during polling properly and accordingly FIRs were lodged against many of them and disciplinary proceedings were initiated.
Based on Mahatme's report, Congress moved the EC and later the Supreme Court seeking fresh polling in Tripura West. The EC's decision to order repolling in 168 booths failed to satisfy both Congress and CPM. While the CPM candidate filed the writ in HC, Congress is waiting for SC hearing. The EC, meanwhile, has summoned a Congress delegation to New Delhi to hold talks on their demand for fresh poll.
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