The Election Commission of India (ECI) will implement the 72-hours protocols from Monday before February 16 assembly polls by sealing the entire stretch of Indo-Bangla border along with borders of Tripura with neighbouring states Assam and Mizoram.

Addressing a press conference here at the conference hall of DM(West) on Sunday afternoon, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura Kiran Gitte said that all the six roads connected Tripura with neighbouring Assam and Mizoram will be sealed from Monday till the peaceful completion of February 16 assembly polls.

As per the directives of ECI, the entire stretch of Indo-Bangla border will also be sealed on the same day and from Monday also , no motorbike rally will be allowed to any political party, said Gitte.

He said that the 48-hours protocols will start from February 14 next and after 4 PM, no vocal campaign will be allowed in the silent period until completion of the voting process on February 16.

Gitte added that all outsiders stay in different hotels, lodges and guest houses across the state will have to vacant before 4 PM of February 14 and only the election-in-charge of different political parties will allow to the stay in hotels and guest houses with their declaration, which have to submit before the Election department.

The Commission has also decided dry days on February 15 and 16 and on the voting will be government holiday, which has been declared earlier through notification, said Gitte and added that on the polling day one candidate will be allowed to move only with three cards without any voter movements.

He said only the polling day and on the counting day on March 2nd next, no private flights and choppers will be allowed to fly in the skies of Tripura.

While, giving details of the postal ballot voting, which started on February 8 and ends on Sunday, Gitte said that altogether 65,000 persons cast their votes through postal ballots including 31,000 polling staff, 19,000 police and TSR jawans, 5000 drivers and 630 other persons from different supporting departments of government.

The state Election department has also recorded the voting of 8500 people belongs to 80 plus years and persons with disability (PWD), said Gitte and among the total voters 28,14,584 will cast their votes on February 16 polls except postal ballot voters and 8,500 special voters in 3,337 polling stations across 60 assembly constituencies.

Highlighting the security measures, Gitte ruled out that apart from Central Arms Police Forces (CAPFs) comprising six forces including CRPF, BSF, SSB, CISF, ITBT and RPF only deployed in the polling stations as per standard protocols.

Regarding opposition objections over deployment of Gujarat and Assam police in poll duties, Gitte said they are not state police, but they are the Indian Reserved (IR) battalions under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) like IR battalions of TSR. There should not be any discrimination regarding the forces and those are raising questions against forces –it’s very unfortunate.

Gitte said that apart from six central forces, no other forces will be deployed in polling stations and remaining forces including arms forces of Gujarat, Assam and Rajasthan will be deployed only for law and order duties including TSR jawans.

He said that the CEO office through the C-Vigil app has so far received above 2600 complaints and 350 more written complaints filed before the CEO office directly.