AGARTALA, Sept 3 - The opposition Congress on Monday announced that it would contest all the seats of the by-elections of the three-tier panchayat, which fell vacant due to mass resignation of the office bearers after BJP-Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura came to power.
The State Election Commission has fixed by-elections to panchayat seats on coming September 30.
Polls would be held in 3,207 seats in gram panchayats, 161 seats in panchayat samities and 18 seats in zila parishads.
President of Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), Birajit Sinha said, to maintain law and order in the State is the responsibility of the State Government. If healthy democratic atmosphere does not prevail during the election, the Congress would initiate appropriate actions.
Earlier on August 20, State party secretary of CPI (M) Bijan Dhar said, we are well aware that the State Election department has taken initiative to hold the by-elections to the vacant posts in the three-tier Panchayat bodies. We demand before conducting the by-polls the concerned authority must ensure proper democratic atmosphere in the State, so that opposition parties could participate in the elections without fear.
He also said due to political pressure of ruling BJP activists a huge number of people representatives had resigned after BJP-IPFT Govt was formed in Tripura in March last. Abnormal vacancies were created due to resignations under duress, Dhar told reporters. � PTI
