Guwahati: Tripura CPI(M) on Wednesday wrote letters to the Chief Election Commissioner of India claiming that BJP leaders travelling by plane and helicopter from New Delhi were transporting large sums of money that would be used to bribe voters.
Moreover, he asked that the leaders’ automobiles and helicopters be examined.
“Disturbing reports are pouring in that, nowadays operation of chartered flights and helicopters in MBB airport in Agartala has increased to an unusual scale. Many political leaders mostly belonging to the ruling BJP are coming in these flights/helicopters. It is natural that they would come to an election-bound state. But, I was informed that some of them carry huge cash money with their flights/copters and those are being dispatched to various parts of the state after 9.00 at night when the check posts set down in various points of the state remain unmanned. There may not be any dispute that this cash money would be used in an illegal manner to bribe the voters”, the letter reads.
Furthermore, he asked for the airport to verify any leaders’ chartered flights and helicopters, as well as to extend the checkpoints’ operating hours to include all hours of the day and night.
“All the cars including the cars used by any political leaders of higher posts must be checked up thoroughly before giving pass in the check posts”, he said.
However, he claimed in his letter to the CEC that many polling places have hired ardently pro-BJP organisations to serve as videographers.
“Randomization of videographers for the polling stations is being done by the concerned DEOs. As reported, though primarily BSNL was assigned to perform this task, facing a shortage of men and equipment they have hired some agencies to accomplish videography in the entire state on the poll day. We have reports that some hardcore pro-BJP agencies are also enlisted as videographers in many polling booths. Thus it is necessary to provide details of all the videographers appointed for videography in the entire state to the political parties, so that they may examine, whether any agencies biased to any party may be identified and weeded out”, the letter reads.
The letter continues by stating that the TRLM (Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission), a branch of the Tripura government, has purportedly begun disbursing benefits to a sizable number of recipients via online transfers of money to the beneficiaries’ respective accounts.
“While the people of the state are going to elect a new government within a week or so, at this moment release of such benefits certainly has an ulterior motive to garner electoral gain by the ruling parties through this government department. For fairness of election please stop the such release of benefits during this period”, it added.