AGARTALA, April 19 - A day after the Election Commission (EC) postponed voting in the BJP-ruled Tripura citing law-and-order problems, the saffron party on Thursday claimed that the poll panel was �confused� by a conspiracy hatched by the CPI(M) and the Congress.
This �confusion� also led the EC to remove the State�s Additional Director General of Police Rajiv Singh from duty, senior BJP leader and State Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath said.
The EC on Tuesday announced postponing voting in the Tripura (East) Lok Sabha seat to the third phase on April 23 from April 18, saying the prevailing law-and-order situation there is not conducive to holding free and fair polls.
After postponing the election, the EC transferred ADGP (Law and Order) Rajiv Singh.
Earlier, the CPI(M) alleged that the ruling BJP in the State resorted to �massive rigging� in West Tripura Lok Sabha seat during the first phase elections on April 11.
The Congress, too, had alleged that election was blatantly rigged at West Tripura Lok Sabha polls on April 11.
�The CPI(M) and the Congress have hatched a conspiracy to foil the elections in Tripura. They were routed by people and would never win in a proper election. The EC was confused by their trick and transferred Additional DG Rajiv Singh and deferred the election,� senior BJP leader and Law Minister Nath alleged.
He claimed that the EC got confused with the complaints of violence lodged by the two parties and transferred Additional DGP Rajiv Singh and deferred the polls.
�Our leaders have met the EC in New Delhi. We have met the CEO in Tripura. But it seems we have failed to convince the EC about the conspiracy,� Nath said.
Earlier in the day, State CPI(M) secretary Gautam Das said, �The massive rigging in the first phase of polls was the manifestation of the BJP�s frustration after realising that its support base has eroded in the State. They (BJP) have cheated the people of Tripura by not fulfilling the promises made before last year�s Assembly polls.�
He sought heavy deployment of Central forces and intensified patrolling in the sensitive areas of East Tripura constituency, which is set to go to polls on April 23.
�Just after the conclusion of the voting process in West Tripura on April 11, we made an assessment and found out that polls were rigged in 464 out of the total 1,679 booths. Later, reports suggested that rigging was carried out in 774 booths,� Das claimed. � PTI
