[Marxistindia] Nilotpal Basu's letter to CEC on polls in West Bengal and Tripura

[news from the cpi(m)]

April 23, 2019
Press Release
 
We are herewith releasing the letter addressed to the Chief Election
Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora by Shri Nilotpal Basu, Member, Polit Bureau,
CPI(M) on April 22, when he had gone to meet the CEC raising serious
concerns about the polls in West Bengal and Tripura. 
 
***
April 22, 2019
Dear Shri. Arora ji,
We must, at the very outset, express our deep sense of disappointment and
anguish over the manner in which elections were presided over by the
Election Commission of India in Tripura  West Parliamentary constituency on
11th April 2019. Seldom have we seen such a level of subversion of the
democratic elections in the history of this country. Thankfully, when we had
brought the specific details of what happened on that day of shame, you had
also recognized the gravity of the situation and decided to postpone the
elections of the Tripura East (ST) parliamentary constituency which was to
be held on 18th of April and scheduled it for 23rd April, specifically
mentioning the collapse of the law and order situation making it unfit for
holding a free and fair poll.
However, very little has happened on the ground on behalf of the Election
Commission of India which is commensurate with your own assessment. We had
made a preliminary assessment that re-polling needs to be undertaken in 464
polling booths across the constituency. With further evidence now available
with us, it is clear that rigging was more widespread and, for all practical
purposes what happened on the 11th April was a farce. 
Therefore, we are forwarding the letter of Shri. Shankar Prasad Datta, the
CPI(M) candidate, addressed to the Returning Officer of Tripura West
parliamentary constituency demanding re-poling in 846 polling booths
(Annexure-1). Our complaints with you earlier has now been vindicated by the
official notice issued by the office of the district magistrate and
collector, West Tripura district, dated 17th April announcing the lodging of
FIR against people responsible for the rigging in certain booths which
include polling agents and even polling officials (Annexure-2). This
absolutely vindicates our contention. Thereafter many who were named in the
FIRs were given bail and in some cases from the police station itself.
Shankar Prasad Datta had subsequently made two representations to the
Returning Officer dated 21st April on the illegality of the actions
(Annexure-3&4). He has further written to you on 21st April (Annexure-5) to
the effect that the action process of verification of video footages in the
presence of all candidates and their representatives on 12th and 13th of
April was also reduced to a farce.
It could be pertinent to mention that when the delegation of the CPI(M) led
by Shri. Sitaram Yechury, including our leaders form Tripura and the two
CPI(M) candidates met you, we had clearly stated that the Returning Officer
of the Tripura West PC was not fit to undertake this polling responsibility
as he had shown clear bias in shutting down a progressive Bengali daily
'Desarkatha' which was subsequently restored by judicial order.
Therefore, under the present circumstance the Election Commission of India
has to facilitate the process of holding free and fair polling to 846
polling booths to sustain as semblance of credibility of the election
process.
We are also annexing herewith a letter from Shri. Jitendra Choudhary CPI(M)
candidate from for Tripura East (ST) PC to the Returning Officer and central
police observer dated 13th April on the several measures which is needed to
be undertaken for ensuring free and fair poll on the 23rd April (Annexure
6). We hope that, under no circumstance, will the incident which has sullied
the democratic traditions of Tripura, should be repeated on 23rd April.
However, apprehensions remain. I am hereby forwarding a letter from Shri.
Gautam Das, Secretary, Tripura state committee of CPI(M) addressed to you
(Annexure-7). We hope that the Election Commission will do whatever it
takes, to do justice to the credibility of this institution built over the
years.
I am also hereby forwarding the letter of Shri. Md Salim, CPI(M) candidate
for the Raiganj PC in West Bengal. He has similarly demanded re-polling to
28 booths in different assembly segments of the constituency (Annexure 8).
What is to be noted that the circumstances in which polls were rigged in
these booths confirmed our worst apprehensions communicated to you on the
15th of April and handed over an exhaustive list of sensitive booths
including these 28 which rigged.
It is of further concern that in most of them the precautionary arrangements
like deployment of central forces, video streaming or CC TV were absent. In
some of them even electricity was not available. Shri. Salim, the candidate
was attacked on the day of the polling on 18th and this was personally
informed to you over telephone as soon as the attack took place. The pattern
in Raiganj has been similar to what happened in Tripura West, only on a
lesser scale. We therefore, urge you to order re-polls for these 28 polling
booths were elections had been held on the 18th.  
Thanking you,
With regards,
Yours sincerely
 
Sd/-
(Nilotpal Basu)
Member, Polit Bureau
 
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