Opposition CPI(M) in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura has lodged a complaint alleging gross violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the ruling BJP during submission of nomination papers.

CPI (M) state secretary and MLA Jitendra Chaudhury in his letter to the CEO, Tripura Puneet Agarwal said that the desperation that the ruling BJP has been showing in the initial stage of the ongoing by-elections in two Assembly seats of the state, the opposition have reasons to apprehend and claimed that  If  the election authority fails to enforce their command on the violators that would be detrimental to vitiate the entire election.

Chaudhury in his letter said that on Thursday while approaching the office of the Returning Officer (RO) for submitting of nominations of Left Front candidates, their mass procession was stopped by the police at a certain point, saying beyond that point it was a restricted area.

He said that “accordingly, our procession stopped there. But I show a big dais was constructed inside the restricted area by the ruling BJP.”

“I drew the matter to the notice of the CEO, who informed the matter to the DEO of Sepahijala district. In the evening DEO himself also talked to me and assured me that no violation of MCC would be allowed to happen in any stage of the election,” letter reads.

Chaudhury said that on Thursday   BJP leaders and most of the ministers including the Chief Minister used that dais to address the people gathered on the occasion of submission of nomination of BJP candidates.

He added that on August 8th last, the day when the ECI declared by-election in the state, he wrote a letter to the DEO, Sepahijala district urging for removal of all publicity materials containing achievements of the BJP government from the Sepahijala district where MCC was imposed immediately after declaration of by-elections. But till now they find that hardly any such publicity material was removed, said Chaudhury.

“It is unfortunate that, being a ruling party in the state, which should have been responsible and respectful to the adherence to the MCC, are willfully violating it for garnering electoral benefits,” said Chaudhury in his letter to the CEO.

He hoped that the CEO, as the chief of the election administration of the state, would sincerely exert the poll authorities to ensure level-playing opportunity to all stake-holders and order an investigation of the violation of MCC and take appropriate action against the violators.