Agartala, September 28: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday appealed to voters to cast their ballots freely and without fear as polling got underway for the Village Committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), while condemning the alleged attack on the convoy of former chief minister and CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar in Bamutia.
Speaking to reporters after attending an event in Agartala, Saha said he had personally sought details of Sunday's incident at Kalibazar and was informed by the police that Sarkar had been provided a double escort.
“I immediately inquired, and the police department informed me that he was provided with a double escort. He himself admitted that the police had done an excellent job,” Saha said.
The chief minister said different accounts had emerged about the gathering at Kalibazar, with some linking it to the issue concerning 10,323 teachers and others to the Rose Valley scam.
“Regardless of who was present, it is not desirable for things to happen this way; such conduct is not part of our culture,” he said.
Saha also urged people to participate in the Village Committee elections, which are being held after about a decade.
“Please go to your polling stations and cast your votes without any worry. Elections should be conducted in a festive atmosphere. You are free to vote for any candidate of your choice. Voting is your duty, but it is also your right,” he said.
The chief minister said the Director General of Police had assured him that polling was proceeding peacefully across the state. He added that the voters' choices would determine who represents their constituencies and contributes to local development.
Polling is being held through ballot papers across 587 Village Committees, 2,634 constituencies and 4,597 seats, with 9,61,977 voters eligible to exercise their franchise. The election covers 52 blocks of the state.
The previous Village Committee elections were held in 2016, while the elected bodies' tenure ended in March 2021. The subsequent polls were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and legal complications.
Saha also referred to the month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, launched on September 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 25 years in public service. He said social organisations had actively participated in the campaign and thanked them for contributing to the initiative.
The counting of votes is scheduled for October 5, according to the State Election Commission's election schedule.
