Agartala, September 28: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday appealed to voters to exercise their franchise freely and without fear as polling began for the Village Committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), while condemning the alleged attack on the convoy of former chief minister and CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar in Bamutia on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters in Agartala, Saha said he had personally sought details of the incident at Kalibazar and was informed by the police that Sarkar had been provided a double escort.
“I immediately inquired, and the police department informed me that he was provided with a double escort,” Saha said, adding that Sarkar had acknowledged the security arrangements.
The chief minister said different accounts had emerged regarding the gathering at Kalibazar, with some linking it to the issue concerning 10,323 teachers and others to the Rose Valley case.
“Regardless of who was present, it is not desirable for things to happen this way; such conduct is not part of our culture,” Saha said.
He also urged voters to participate in the elections without apprehension and called for polling to be conducted in a peaceful and festive atmosphere.
“Please go to your polling stations and cast your votes without any worry. You are free to vote for any candidate of your choice. Voting is your duty, but it is also your right,” he said.
Saha said the Director General of Police had assured him that polling was proceeding peacefully across the state and stressed that voters’ choices would determine their local representatives and contribute to development at the grassroots level.
Polling began at 7 am and is being conducted through ballot papers for 2,950 seats across 587 Village Committees. Of the total 4,597 seats, 1,644 have been filled unopposed, while three seats received no nominations. Around 6.65 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the constituencies where contests are being held.
The elections are being held after nearly a decade. The previous Village Committee polls were conducted in 2016, while the elected bodies’ tenure ended in 2021. The subsequent elections were delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and legal complications.
The State Election Commission has deployed extensive security arrangements for the polls. Counting of votes is scheduled for October 5.
Saha also referred to the month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, saying social organisations had actively participated in the initiative and thanking them for their contribution.
