Agartala, July 11 (UNI) The ruling BJP has faced a crisis following internal squabble within the party leaders and between the partners over the selection of candidates with the announcement of the poll schedule on Wednesday to three-tier Panchayat.
According to report, in every assembly constituency BJP has at least two interest groups become active in the power battle. The party entrusted the responsibility for selecting the candidates to the local MLA in consultation with the Mandal functionaries but in most of the places Mandal committees couldn’t consensus the candidature.
On the other, BJP’s two allies in the government TIPRA Motha and IPFT have also demanded proportionate share of representation in the mixed populated areas outside the tribal Autonomous District Council (ADC), which BJP didn’t agree to the formula but in the ADC BJP is mostly dependent on Motha.
The in-fighting within BJP was demonstrated on Wednesday by a group in Dhanpur assembly constituency under Sepahijala district, which has been under the control of former Union Minister of State Pratima Bhoumik. The aggrieved group locked the Bhabanipur panchayat office alleging large scale corruption and non-payment of the remuneration to the locally employed youths for maintaining village amenities for last few months.
The protest intensified throughout the day causing significant disruption in the movement of vehicles and public life. In the afternoon with the intervention of police the agitation was withdrawn but the situation is still tense. The villagers demanded to change the present set up of three-tier panchayats and bring fresh faces in the upcoming elections and initiate investigation against the accused persons of the panchayat.
The State Election Commissioner Saradindu Choudhuri on Wednesday announced the election to 6,370 seats across 3,517 constituencies in 606 Gram Panchayat, 35 Panchayat Samities with 423 constituencies, and 116 constituencies under 8 Zilla Parishads, which will be held on August 8.
Choudhuri said nomination process has started from Thursday with the notification and the last date for nominations is scheduled on July 18, scrutiny on July 19, and the final date for withdrawal of candidatures on July 22. The counting of votes will be held on August 12 and the entire election process will be completed by August 17.
