Congress: Left could fight by-polls with all, claims poll result as mockery of democracy

Fighting election against BJP should always be in full strength...not in symbolic and Left Front could fight the by-elections in Boxanagar and Dhanpur seats with all likeminded parties, said Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha.

Reacting over the poll-debacle and alleged mass rigging organized by ruling BJP, Tripura Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha once again on Sunday claimed that he results for the by-elections to two Assembly constituencies in Tripura’s Boxanagar and Dhanpur vindicate the apprehensions raised by opposition parties over mass rigging.

He said that in Boxanagar constituency, the BJP won securing 89 percent of votes polled and 71 per cent in Dhanpur constituency. This is unprecedented in the state’s history of elections and after having lost the Boxanagar seat to the CPI (M) in the February elections, it is impossible for the BJP to secure 89 per cent votes except through large-scale rigging and the Left Front candidate only secured below 5000 votes, which is quite impossible.

Saha said that these elections have been reduced to a mockery with large scale rigging by the BJP in connivance with the administration and police and added that after 2023 assembly elections, the ruling BJP had not done any significant for the state’s people that their candidate has managed to secure 89 percent votes, which reflected the real undemocratic face of BJP.

Saha branded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a real challenge to Indian democracy given its “track record of demolishing” democratically elected governments. He also said that the Congress is keen to enter the electoral contest with a combination that could stop the BJP from making a comeback in next general elections by strengthening the I.ND.I.A alliance.

“BJP is not a challenge for us only. This party also poses a challenge to Indian democracy,” said Saha and added that Congress will strengthen its movements across the state against anti-people policies of the BJP government.

He said that on Sunday an important meeting of Congress’s Seva Dal was held at Congress Bhavan to observe the anniversary of the wing on December 28 next. Saha said that during the meeting the Northeast in-charge of Seva Dal Chandan Barua and state in-charge Sukanta Bhattacharjee along with other party workers Seva Dal cadres were present.

The Seva Dal workers will strengthen their voices against the oppression politics of BJP and will visit every panchayat of the state to form mass movements against BJP government in coming days, said Saha and added that Seva Dal workers will also record the grievances of villagers and will form movements to protect their rights.