Parties demand removal of Tripura Chief Electoral Officer

AGARTALA: Four opposition parties including Congress have demanded removal of Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Ashutosh Jindal for his alleged partisan role in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

While a delegation of Congress met Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath in Delhi and demanded removal of Jindal yesterday, Trinamool Congress, BJP and Tripura Pragatishil Gramin Congress (TPGC), a breakaway faction of Congress, have also made the same demand.

President of Tripura unit of BJP, Sudhindra Dasgupta said they demanded removal of Jindal for his "partisan" role in the elections and demanded repolling due to large-scale rigging allegedly by CPI(M).

Chairman of Trinamool Congress in Tripura Ratan Chakraborty said his party has also demanded removal of Jindal. Dismissing the allegations, CPI(M) said it was a move to divert people's attention as they would face defeat.

BJP and TGPC have called a dawn-to-dusk strike on May 12 on the same issue.