CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday spoke of a “general apprehension” that a serious law and order problem might be “created” by the ruling BJP in Tripura before the February 16 Assembly polls.

Appealing to the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections under central forces, Yechury, who has been campaigning in the state for the past two days, told the media that the overwhelming mood of the people of Tripura “is for a change to restore the rule of law and democracy”.

“Looking at this mood of the people, there seems to be a very desperate urge to overcome the people’s dissatisfaction against this BJP misrule by big use of money and muscle power. Already reports have come in ... This way they are distorting democracy and a level playing field,” Yechury said, in the company of the state CPM secretary Jitendra Chaudhury.

Threats and intimidation have begun, Yechury said. “Three days before the polling, the general apprehension is there could be very serious law and order problems created by the BJP. And this can be possible only if there is tacit support or permission given unofficially by the administration. This has to be stopped.”

The CPM-led Left Front and the Congress, once bitter rivals, have entered into a seat-sharing arrangement to take on the ruling BJP-IPFT combine in the one-phase polls next week. Both the ruling and the Opposition combines are contesting all 60 seats.

Yechury said they have appealed to the Central Election Commission in Delhi regarding this. “Our delegation will meet the CEC and urge upon him that, according to the Constitution of India, the EC is the only authority that has the powers and the mandate to ensure a free and fair election. They should make sure that such gross misuse of administrative positions by the BJP, central and state governments should be immediately stopped.”

He added: “Secondly, the elections must be conducted under the strict provisions of the central forces that the Election Commission will send. If voter intimidation that Tripura has seen in the past has to stop, it should be by central forces, and not forces drawn from the BJP-ruled states that we hear are being deployed.”

Yechury said he can understand state governments being asked to assist in the conduct of elections because of a shortage of forces.

“But in this sort of an election where only three states are going to the election, that too in the Northeast, this cannot be an excuse that there is a shortage of paramilitary forces. This must be seriously examined and curbed by the EC,” he said.

Pointing out that protection to the voter and the confidence that must be given to the voter cannot be confined only to the polling booths, he said: “This has to be given through a general campaign conducted by the EC. They have done it in the past... to instil the confidence that they can fearlessly come out to vote. Our appeal to the secular and democratic forces in Tripura to unite and also to the people to restore democracy.”

Jitendra Chaudhury, while supplementing Yechury, said rather than the political parties it is the people of the state who have set the agenda to “defeat” the “anti-people, and anti-constitution BJP”.

CPM’s flagging the law and order and lack of development under the ruling BJP come amid the campaign blitzkrieg launched by the BJP during which the ruling party has harped on the reign of terror during the Left Front’s 25-year rule in the state.

BJP leaders asserted that voting for the Left Front and the Congress will only take them back to the “dark days” they had experienced before they came to power in 2018.

Moreover, the Election Commission had in January removed three police officers for not acting in time to prevent an attack on a Congress leader at Jirania in West Tripura district. It also directed the state administration to assess threat perception to political leaders and accordingly provide security.

The commission had conveyed its displeasure to the state administration in no uncertain terms over the incident despite its strict directions to maintain order and to ensure a level playing field for all political parties. It had asked its special observers to ensure the proper deployment of central forces.

The state police said that 400 companies of CAPF were being deployed for the smooth conduct of the polls, among others.