Agartala: The international border and inter-state borders with Bangladesh will be sealed from Monday to ensure free and fair assembly elections in Tripura, a senior election official said. Elections to the 60-member assembly of the northeastern state will be held on February 16.
“The international border with Bangladesh and the inter-state borders with Assam and Mizoram will be sealed from Monday following the Election Commission’s directive,” Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Gite Kirankumar Dinkarrao told reporters on Sunday.
He said the BSF, which is “keeping a tight vigil along the India-Bangladesh border”, has been asked to seal the border for free and fair elections.
Dinakrao also said that the commission would start checking hotels, hostels and marriage halls from Monday, 72 hours before polling, to ensure that “outsiders stay in a particular area where they are not voters.”
Stating that the ongoing campaign for the upcoming elections would end at 4 pm on Monday, the CEO said that the candidates can request their respective returning officers to enhance security during polling if they face threats and intimidation. Does matter.
He said voting by postal ballots for polling personnel, security personnel and other officials would end on Monday.
“More than 56,000 voters have exercised their franchise through postal ballots. A total of 65,000 such ballots have been issued in all the 60 assembly constituencies,” he said.
On the deployment of the State Armed Police for the elections, the CEO said they are “performing the duties with great devotion”.
Notably, former chief minister and CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar on Saturday expressed concern over the deployment of the state armed police for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.