By TC News Desk
Agartala: January 12. The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday stated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is committed and duty bound to conduct a free, fair, inducement free and violence-free election in Tripura.
The 15-member delegation team of ECI arrived yesterday and said that they have taken all measures for a peaceful election so that voters can join the festival of democracy and if a voter faces any threat or intimidation on the day of polling, they can use cVigil app to inform the election authorities.
“We arrived here yesterday and held a meeting with all politicians, enforcement agencies, police, officials, and District Magistrates. We are determined and duty bound to have a free, fair, transparent, inducement-free, and violence-free election. And cooperation is needed. We have 60 seats among these 30 general, 10 are Scheduled Cast, and 20 are Scheduled Tribes. Total electors are 28, 13, 478. While 65, 000 are first time voters”, he said.
He said there are 3328 polling stations including 707 in urban and 2621 in rural.Kumar said that this time Commission has taken special efforts to enroll women, transgender, and PwDs.“60 polling stations will be run by women only including presiding officer, polling officers and security too. 10 polling stations will be run by PwDs just to give them respect and to empower them”, the chief election commissioner said.
He said randomization of forces will be done in front of the polling observers. So that the forces are utilized effectively, optimally, and in all the areas wherever it will be required.
“Even the local administration officials, and police administration will also be involved. We have held a detailed meeting with the officials of State police, , excise department, GST, revenue intelligence, CISF, income tax, narcotics, AAI, Postal, BSF, and Assam Rifles as they all are part and parcel of violence-free election”, he said.
The commission has also reviewed the concern that political parties have raised and later discussed them with District Magistrates, the Superintendent of Police, and central agencies and they were directed accordingly.
“In some states, you will find pre-poll, post-poll, and during-poll violence are taking place but in recent polls, no violence had taken place. So our attempt will be to completely make the rest of the state free from violence during the poll. We have taken some measures and directed all the District Election Officers, and SPs to provide a level playing field and nobody should do a partisan approach to any individual. They will be on our radar, if they do so they have been well explained they will have to account for and answer for this. District administration will ensure to provide all the benefits like vehicles, grounds to all the political parties following a system and permission required”, Kumar told reporters.
The Commission has ensured that CAPF will be deployed in all the polling stations, in all check posts and in all routes, and in all critical areas.
