In a bold political move, the Pradesh Congress has launched a street-level campaign against what it calls a “disgraceful conspiracy” targeting the TTAADC elections, accusing the State Election Commission of bias. On Thursday, the party staged a rally and submitted a pointed memorandum demanding accountability, led by spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty.

Chakraborty slammed the state government for being “disconnected from the people” and embroiled in internal distrust, with ministers reportedly acting against one another. He claimed, “Amid this political chaos, the Dharmanagar by-election is taking place under suspicious circumstances. The Election Commission has effectively become a ‘puppet’ of Modi-Shah. The EVM machines brought from Madhya Pradesh include two ‘chief’ units—meant only for two simultaneous elections. Why are they here? And why 1,350 EVMs for just 1,200 booths? This raises serious doubts about the integrity of the process.”

The Congress also highlighted alleged statements by a ruling party minister, suggesting that votes for other parties could be redirected to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Chakraborty warned, “With election officials and BJP offices seemingly aligned, the people’s mandate is at risk.”

After submitting the memorandum, Congress leaders pressed the State Election Commission to deploy VVPAT-enabled EVMs already present in the state and demanded CCTV coverage at every polling station to prevent manipulation.

The Election Commission, however, dismissed these concerns, asserting that all EVMs are tested under scrutiny in the presence of party representatives, and emphasized that the machines in use are secure and tamper-proof.

The confrontation sets the stage for a politically charged by-election, highlighting deepening mistrust between opposition parties and election authorities, with the Pradesh Congress positioning itself as the defender of electoral transparency.