POLITICS-Cong panchayat nominees attacked by BJP: Tripura PCC chief

The opposition Congress in Tripura Tuesday alleged that workers of the ruling BJP have attacked their candidates and activists in various parts of the state during filing of nominations for the July 27 panchayat elections, The saffron party, however, denied the charge. The filing of nominations to the three-tier rural polls in the state ended on Monday.

"Our candidates were attacked even in front of the police and inside government offices but no action was taken against them," state Congress president Pradyot Kishore Debburman told reporters. He alleged that BJP workers had attacked state Mahila Congress president Laxmi Nag at Manu Bazar in South Tripura district on Monday.

When contacted, the officer-in-charge of Manu Bazar police station, Samir Debbarma, said a few people had pelted stones when Congress candidates led by Nag were on their way to file their nominations. "No one was injured in the incident but we are trying to arrest the culprits," Debbarma said.

The Congress had filed nominations in a decent number of seats, the PCC president exuded the confidence of giving a tough fight to the BJP in the panchayat polls. "We have lodged police complaints and will approach the higher authorities if the poll-related violence does not stop," he said.

Debburman also slammed Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb for failing to maintain law and order in the state. "Our chief minister says he wants to make Tripura a model state within three years. But blood continues to spill on the streets ahead of the panchayat elections," he said.

BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya rubbished the allegations claiming that none of their party supporters were involved in any clash. Debburman said he hopes that steps will be taken to ensure a conducive environment for holding the panchayat polls.

Polls will be held in 511 Gram Panchayats, 35 Panchayat Samitis and eight Zilla Parishads in Tripura.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)