Amidst tight security the much-awaited general election for one parliamentary constituency (PC) of Tripura will start from Friday morning at 7 AM and will continue up to 5 PM in the afternoon to decide the fate of 9 candidates contesting along with by-poll for 7-Ramnagar assembly seat, where only two candidates are contesting the elections.

With assurance of ‘zero poll violence’, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has also taken a motto for ‘zero re-poll’ on the poll day by delivering sufficient equipment’s and accessories of all polling staff with adequate training to tackle with any kind of technical glitch in EVMs.

Giving details Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura, Puneet Agarwal said a total of electorate of 14,63,526 will cast their votes in altogether 1,686 polling stations across 30 assembly constituencies and all polling stations will be covered with web-casting and videography. And 45,757 strong electorate in Ramnagar

He said that many polling stations will be managed exclusively managed by women poll personnel with women central forces while there will be model polling stations; besides there will be few more polling stations for casting votes by persons with disability (PWD).

In order to ensure a free and fair polling, the Commission has arranged a large number of police and paramilitary forces including Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and forces from other states, helpline number for voters and twelve kinds of identity cards . The Commission has also declared that blocking any voter from casting his votes by any means is a punishable offence and will carry a sentence of two years jail term.

A multi-cornered contest would be witnessed in West Tripura PC and a direct contest between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress-Left alliance, INDIA Bloc candidate in Ramnagar Assembly segment.

In the politically important Tripura West seat, the main contest is expected between former Tripura Chief Minister and BJP candidate Biplab Kumar Deb, and Tripura Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha, of the INDIA bloc.

The by-election to the Ramnagar Assembly seat will also be held on Friday. The seat fell vacant after the demise of sitting BJP MLA Surajit Datta on December 28 last year.

Two candidates, one each of the BJP and the CPI(M), are trying their electoral fortunes in the Ramnagar Assembly by-poll.

Agarwal said that around 10 thousand polling and security personnel will be on duty in the entire West Tripura constituency over and above the normally posted police personnel. He said that in case of any problem all voters can contact the thirty complaint redressal officers (CRO) for as many assembly segments with their mobile numbers with WhatsApp facilities to which any aggrieved voter can file complaints.

The DM (West Tripura district) and Returning Officer (RO) of West Tripura PC, Dr Vishal Kumar has imposed prohibitory order under Section 144 all over the constituency to prevent distribution of money and other inducements among voters and troubles likely to be created by the anti-social elements . While more than five people cannot move together at a time as per the restriction under the order, no person will be allowed to move around with weapons in hands like bamboo poles, rods, stones or other primitive weapons and fire-arms.

Besides, restrictions have been imposed on use of microphones, loud speakers in meetings or otherwise, holding of rallies and delivery of speeches near the polling stations or any other place in the West Tripura Loksabha constituency. The restrictions also cover movement of two or more vehicles at a time and on the polling day no person except a voter can enter a polling station or booth without due authorization letter from the election commission appointed officers. The steps have been taken to ensure and free and fair election in compliance with the guideline issued by the election commission.

Those who will remain out of purview of the restrictions imposed are election department workers, employees and officers on election duty, security force jawans and officers, driver and cleaners carrying authorized identity cards and media persons. The voters who will come to vote with epics, relatives of voters accompanying them provided they will wait beyond two hundred yards of the polling booth or station. No person except a relative of voter can come by car near the polling station.

The order of the DM (West) shall remain effective from 5 PM of April 17 to 6-00 AM on April 20 and all in the West Tripura loksabha constituency will be required to abide by the restrictions imposed.