Agartala, April 3 — The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front on Friday alleged irregularities in the electoral process in Tripura, claiming that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) without Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units are being used for the upcoming polls.
Left leaders said the machines were reportedly brought from Madhya Pradesh despite sufficient availability of VVPAT-equipped EVMs within the state. The allegations come ahead of the April 12 elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and the April 9 by-election for the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in North Tripura.
Tripura Left Front convenor and former minister Manik Dey said that during a recent all-party meeting, opposition parties including the Indian National Congress had demanded the use of EVMs with VVPAT for greater transparency. However, State Election Commissioner Manoj Kumar reportedly rejected the proposal.
Dey further alleged that the State Election Commission (SEC) is functioning with a “political angle” and accused it of ignoring demands for deploying Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for both the TTAADC elections and the Assembly bypoll.
He also referred to a controversial statement allegedly made by Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma during campaigning, claiming that votes would go in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party regardless of the button pressed. Dey said a complaint had been filed, but no action had been taken so far.
The Left Front also criticised the SEC for rejecting the demand for webcasting of polling proceedings, citing lack of funds. Dey termed the explanation unacceptable, stressing that transparency is crucial for free and fair elections.
Additionally, he alleged that money and freebies are being distributed to influence voters, while authorities have failed to act against those responsible.
The 30-member TTAADC, comprising 28 elected and two nominated members, oversees nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s geographical area. A total of 173 candidates are contesting the polls, including nominees from major parties such as the BJP, Tipra Motha, Left Front, and Congress, along with Independents.
The Dharmanagar by-election was necessitated following the demise of former Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen in December 2025.
