The 12-hour Bandh called by the Left parties in Tripura on Sunday to protest the murder of CPI(M) candidate Badal Shil for the South Tripura Zilla Parishad for the August 8 Panchayat elections evoked little response across Tripura and normal life across capital city Agartala remain same as usual.

Police sources said that most shops and markets were open and vehicles plied almost normally across the state, but mixed response witnessed in few subdivisional towns and till evening, there was no report of any untoward incident in the state so far.

Though CPI(M) and other Left parties did not organize  any picketing or gathering in support of the shutdown, none of activists were arrested.

A huge contingent of forces have been deployed in sensitive and important areas, specially in Rajnagar block of South Tripura district, where skirmish among supporters of both opposition CPI(M) and ruling BJP started on July 11, when CPI(M) candidates filed their nomination papers for three-tier Panchayat elections.

Protesting the killing of a CPI (M) leader and party’s candidate for Zilla Parishad, Tripura Left Front Committee on Saturday evening called a 12-hour Tripura Bandh on Sunday (July 12).

It may be recalled here CPI(M) Belonia sub divisional committee member, Badal  Shil (51), who filed his nomination paper for three-tier Panchayat elections as CPI(M) candidate for Zilla Parishad on July 11(Thursday) at Rajnagar block in South Tripura district was critically injured in a deadly attack by ruling BJP backed miscreants on Friday evening near his house at Chottakhala Bazar of Rajnagar under South Tripura district with sharp cutting weapons on his head and neck.

Immediately, local people shifted him to the local primary health centre, and then shifted to Santir Bazar hospital and in the night referred to GB Hospital.

On Saturday morning, the doctors of GB Hospital led by Dr Siddha Reddy on emergency basis operated on him, but Badal Shil succumbed due to his critical head injuries at about 2.35 PM, said Kar.

The ruling BJP opposed the shutdown while the opposition Congress supported it.

Congress Working Committee member and former minister Sudip Roy Barman said that his party would support the Left Front-sponsored shutdown on Sunday.

However, BJP spokesman Nabendu Bhattacharjee said that his party would strongly oppose the shutdown as it would disturb the normal situation of the state ahead of the Panchayat elections.

A large number of CPI(M) workers, members and leaders organised condolence rallies with the body of the departed party leader in different districts on Sunday.

The body of Shil was brought to the CPI(M) state headquarters in Agartala where the party leaders including former chief minister Manik Sarkar, former Assembly deputy speaker Pabitra Kar, CPI(M) state secretary and opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury paid their last respects to the 51-year-old slain leader.

While, reports from different districts of the state said that the 12-hours shutdown down does not have any significant impact barring few areas and business establishments including all rural markets and transportation remain the same as usual like other days. Air and railway services also continue the same as its schedules and passengers travelling through flights and trains do not get any hardship to reach airport and railway stations. Though, state police have made adequate arrangements for passengers.

Tripura Left Front committee through a press statement cclaimed that strike was total and people of the state spontaneously responded the calls of Left parties and people of the state has rejected the hatred and violent politics of BJP.

Elections to the three-tier Gram Panchayats in Tripura will be held on August 8 and the votes will be counted on August 12.

Amid sporadic incidents of violence, candidates of various political parties are submitting their nominations in 370 seats in 606 Gram Panchayats, 423 seats in 35 Panchayat Samitis, and 116 seats in eight Zilla Parishads.