Agartala, Jun 21, 2022, TRIPURATIMES Desk
Agartala, June 21: Elaborate security arrangements have been prepared to ensure free, fair and peaceful by-elections to two seats of the city- Agartala and Bordowali, an official said on Tuesday.
Briefing media on the overall preparations in the two constituencies, District Magistrate and District Electoral Officer, West Tripura- Debapriya Bardhan said Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) personnel to be deployed in all polling stations.
He appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise in a fear-free manner.
He said, “there are 51,639 voters and 55 polling stations in 6- Agartala and 46,583 voters and 56 polling stations in Bordowali. Six candidates from the two seats each are contesting the by-polls.”
According to the District Electoral Officer, polling for 80+, Divyang and Covid-infected voters through postal ballots has already been conducted.
He said the law and order situation is being reviewed on regular basis and CAPF personnel have already been deployed for area domination.
Elaborating the arrangements, he said, “every polling station will have micro observer along with webcasting and videography facilities and voter assistance booth.”
He also announced, the prohibitory order under section 144 of Cr.P.C already came into for from 5 pm of Tuesday in the two constituencies and it would remain in force till 5 am of June 24. Besides, Dry Day has been declared in Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) areas from June 21-23 and June 26, he added.
Two polling stations in each of the polling stations-- Maitri Bharati JB School (6/23) and Middle Boys South West Booth (6/24) in Agartala and Ramnagar Girls High School—West part (8/1) and Ramnagar Girls’ High School- North Western part (8/2) in Bordowali seats have been identified as model polling stations, he said.
Besides, each of the two constituencies would have two all-women polling stations, Bardhan told the press conference.
“For addressing law and order issues, the Agartala and Bordowali constituencies have been divided into eight and seven sectors respectively. Sector Magistrates and Sector Police Officers are there in all sectors,” he added.
Flying squads, static surveillance teams, expenditure monitoring team and video surveillance teams are already working in both the constituencies.
Superintendent of Police (West) J. Reddy, Returning Officers of two seats- Dr. Shailesh Kumar Yadav (Agartala) and Asim Saha (Bordowali) were present in the press conference.
The SP West said, security personnel in sufficient number would be deployed including 12 companies of CAPFs. He said, 17 among the 111 polling stations in the two constituencies have been identified as sensitive.
Only CAPF personnel would guard the polling stations while security force in double strength would be deployed for vulnerable polling stations. TT PC