Agartala, March 31:
Leader of the Opposition and Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury has accused Tipra Motha of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and attempting to influence voters ahead of the TTAADC elections. He lodged a formal complaint with the State Election Commissioner on Tuesday.
In his letter, Chaudhury alleged that Tipra Motha, which is in power in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), is misusing public funds to bribe voters and is “toeing the line” of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Citing a report published in a local daily, he claimed that on March 17—the day the State Election Commission announced the poll schedule—the office of the Chief Executive Officer of the ADC administration sanctioned over Rs 30 lakh as medical grants. The funds were reportedly meant for 292 beneficiaries from newly resettled Reang refugee families in Kanchanpur, Damcherra, and Panisagar camps.
While acknowledging that medical assistance is generally granted on humanitarian grounds and may be exempt from MCC restrictions, Chaudhury questioned the manner of disbursement. “Granting an identical amount of Rs 10,275 to each of the 292 beneficiaries from only three selected villages, out of 11 such resettled villages, after the poll announcement, amounts to bribery using public funds,” he stated in the complaint.
The CPM leader urged the State Election Commission to immediately intervene and halt the transfer of funds, if not already completed, until the conclusion of the elections. He also called for strict enforcement of MCC provisions, particularly those governing the conduct of parties in power, and sought directions to ensure that both the government and ADC administration adhere to electoral norms in letter and spirit.
