Agartala, Oct 24 : The Tripura unit of the INDIA Bloc will organise a protest rally in Agartala on October 30, demanding the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, opposition leaders said on Saturday.
The alliance will submit a memorandum to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura, after the rally, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said at a press conference at the Agartala Press Club.
Leaders, workers and supporters of the opposition alliance will assemble at Orient Chowmuhani at 11 am before marching towards the CEO’s office, he said.
Chaudhury alleged that the BJP-led central government was weakening democratic institutions and expressed concern over what he described as the declining neutrality of the Election Commission.
He also raised apprehensions over the ongoing SIR exercise, claiming that genuine voters could be excluded from electoral rolls if adequate safeguards were not ensured. He said the revision had raised concerns among opposition parties about the protection of voting rights and the integrity of elections.
The INDIA Bloc’s four-point charter of demands includes the removal of Kumar, withdrawal of the SIR exercise, repeal or review of provisions that the opposition believes undermine the Election Commission’s independence, and opposition to legal protections granted to the Chief Election Commissioner.
Chaudhury said the proposed agitation was part of a broader campaign to safeguard democratic values and constitutional institutions.
Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashish Kumar Saha also criticised the functioning of the Election Commission, questioning the transparency of certain electoral procedures and alleging that important decisions were being taken without adequate consideration of other Election Commissioners.
Saha raised concerns over alleged voter-registration irregularities, including reports of unusually high numbers of electors registered at certain addresses and duplicate entries. He said such issues required proper scrutiny to maintain public confidence in the electoral system.
The Congress leader also expressed apprehension that changes in enrolment procedures and documentation requirements could adversely affect sections of voters.
Saha appealed to parties outside the INDIA Bloc and individuals committed to democratic values to join the agitation, asserting that it was aimed at protecting citizens’ voting rights rather than securing political gains.
The opposition leaders said electoral transparency, the independence of constitutional institutions and the protection of voting rights must remain matters of national importance.
