Agartala, September 3: In a significant political move, Congress MLAs in Tripura abstained from voting in the Rajya Sabha by-election held on Tuesday.
The boycott was a protest against the alleged widespread violence during the recently concluded three-tier Panchayat elections in the state. According to Congress leaders, the violent atmosphere during the elections prevented Opposition candidates from contesting and voters from freely exercising their right to vote.
Former Minister and senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman informed the media about the decision. He emphasized that the Congress legislators could not participate in the by-election in good conscience, given the undemocratic environment they believe was fostered by the ruling party during the Panchayat elections.
“The recent Panchayat elections were marred by unprecedented violence. Opposition candidates were threatened, and voters were intimidated, making it impossible for a free and fair election to take place. In light of these events, we have decided to abstain from voting in the Rajya Sabha by-election as a mark of protest,” Barman stated.
The three Congress MLAs who abstained from voting are Sudip Roy Barman, Birajit Sinha, and Gopal Roy. Their decision to refrain from participating in the by-election is seen as a strong stance against what they describe as the erosion of democratic principles in Tripura under the current administration.
Meantime, the ruling BJP, confident of securing the lone Rajya Sabha seat, now faces increased scrutiny from both the public and opposition parties regarding the fairness of the election process in Tripura.
The Congress’s move to abstain from the vote is likely to fuel further debates about the state of democracy in Tripura, particularly in light of the recent election-related violence and the allegations of voter suppression.
The final outcome of the by-election is going to be declared in the evening today.
From BJP alliance partners Rajib Bhattacharjee is the candidate while former MLA Sudhan Das is contesting as CPIM candidate.
