AGARTALA, April 25(TIWN): Confident about their sweep in the TTAADC election before the poll date announcement, the ruling CPI(M) is now finding it difficult to make a clean sweep after the IPFT’s all out campaign and the REGA unrest in the hills at the eleventh hour of the election. As the day for the TTAADC election is approaching fast, the ruling left front too has brought pace in its campaign trial throughout the state, especially in the areas where the IPFT is emerging strong owing to its Tipraland issue and the increasing support of the younger voters on the issue. On the backfoot for the dual issue of REGA unrest and Tipraland’s popularity in the tribal belt, the ruling left front has started attacking the IPFT and INPT claiming them to be the conspirators. In a press statement issued by the state CPI(M) unit from its Melarmath head office last night, the party says,” With the election to ADC drawing close, the leaders and workers of IPFT and INPT have started provocative activities in Hezamara block”. The statement alleged that INPT and IPFT leaders had been instigating tribal people who never took part in REGA work to demand payment of wages in cash which is highly unreasonable . Refering to a specific incident, the statement said that ‘unruly’ IPFT and INPT workers had forcibly picked up the women chairpersons of Shankhola and Ramshankar ADC villages from their homes and confined them by force to ADC village offices. The statement further said that on Thursday the IPFT and INPT ‘miscreants’ had 'gheraoed' the chairperson of Bharat Chowdhury para ADC village for more than thirteen hours. The statement further claimed that ‘the miscreants’ of IPFT and INPT had physically heckled and assaulted local CPI (M) leaders Ramani Debbarma and Dayal Debbarma besides ransacking their residential premises.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has intensified his campaign for the ensuing TTAADC election and is doing rallies in different ADC areas of the state.

It may be mentioned here that the ruling CPI(M) party had cancelled the CPI(M) rally to be addressed by the CM at Pecharthal today after the locals belonging to a particular tribe had demonstrated against the police firing on the innocent people. The demonstrators demanded action against the Unakoti SP L Darlong, who ordered the firing on the mob. The locals believe that the police firing on the innocent mob who took shelter inside a Buddha temple  violated the sanity of the temple.

The police had resorted to firing to disperse the agitating MGNREGA workers, who were demanding payment of their dues on the eve of Biju festival on April 13 last.