Over 13 lakh voters will exercise their franchise for the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat which will go to polls on Thursday.
Chief Electoral Officer, Sriram Taranikanti said, elections would begin at 7 am and would continue till 5 pm. Adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polls, he added.
The CEO said 13,47,381 voters, including 6,82,044 male and 6,65,327 female voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 1679 polling stations of the constituency.
“Adequate security measures have been taken, 99 per cent voters have received their voter slips, 30 polling stations would be fully manned by women and a total of 3030 postal ballots have been cast so far for the West Tripura parliamentary constituency,” Taranikanti said.
A total of 13 candidates including BJP’s Pratima Bhowmick, CPI (M) nominee Shankar Prasad Datta and Subal Bhowmick of the Congress are contesting.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechuri have campaigned in Tripura.
Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said 64 companies of Central Arms Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed in different areas of the state along with the police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) for the first phase of the polls.
The DGP said since the declaration of the poll schedule, 1570 non-bailable and permanent warrants have been executed, 60 election related cases were registered, 44 accused people arrested.
{{/usCountry}}The DGP said since the declaration of the poll schedule, 1570 non-bailable and permanent warrants have been executed, 60 election related cases were registered, 44 accused people arrested.
{{/usCountry}}Shukla said the BSF has sealed the 856 km long Indo-Bangla international border in Tripura, so that no untoward elements could enter into Indian territory to carry out any subversive activity.
At least 21 polling stations were identified as vulnerable and 111 as critical in West Tripura constituency.
Polls to the East Tripura seat will be held on April 18 during the second phase. Tripura has two Lok Sabha seats - West Tripura and East Tripura.