The Elections Commission of India (ECI) will ensure violence free by-polls in Boxanagar and Dhanpur assembly constituencies and an adequate number of security forces will be deployed in all poll bound areas, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Puneet Agarwal.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat on Thursday afternoon, CEO Agarwal said that ECI announced poll schedules for two vacant seats of 60-members Tripura legislative assembly along with five other assembly seats in Jharkhand, Kerala, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on August 8th last and as per the schedules, the polls will be held on September 5th next and counting of polled votes to be conducted on September 8th.

He said that the Gazette notification issued on Thursday, the last date of making nominations is August 17. The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on August 18 and the last date for withdrawal is August 21.

Agarwal said that the poll panel on Thursday also attended a high level meeting with the Chief Secretary, DGP and all concerned district officials including authorities of Central Arms Police Forces (CAPFs) to ensure tight security measures in both constituencies. He said that CAPFs will be deployed in all polling stations and web casting will also be arranged in all polling stations and outside of the polling stations will also be covered by videography.

He said that soon after announcement of poll schedules, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force in entire Sepahijala district and like previous elections, the ECI will ensure all facilities for voters including above 80 years and voters fall under the category of person with disabilities (PWD).

The CEO said that the 20-Boxanagar assembly constituency has 51 polling stations and total numbers of voters are 43,087 including 75 service voters, 510 80plus voters and 198 PWD voters.  Similarly, the 23-Dhanpur assembly seat has a total voter of 50,147, 85 service voters, 80 plus voters are 707 and 265 more voters under PWD category.

Agarwal reiterated that ECI committed to ensure free, fair and violence free by-polls and all necessary steps would be taken to ensure violence free polls.

During the press meet additional CEO Ushazen Mog and Deputy CEO Utpal Chakma were also present.

It may be recalled here that on March 15, 2023, the union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Pratima Bhowmik who was elected in the 2023 assembly elections from Dhanpur assembly constituency in Sonamura subdivision has bid an emotional farewell to her electors after submitting her resignation from the assembly.  She submitted her resignation to continue her MP status.

In the assembly elections, Smt Pramita Bhowmik secured a total of 19,148 votes and defeated her rival candidate Kaushik Chanda of CPI (M) 3,500 votes. CPI (M) candidate got 15,648 votes, while, Tipra-Motha candidate Amiya Dayal Noatia got 8,671 votes, which has played a crucial role to lose the strong bastion of CPI (M), which was represented by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

The by-elections have been necessitated after senior CPI (M) leader and sitting MLA from Boxanagar assembly constituency, Samsul Haque breathed his last after he suffered a cardiac arrest in the wee hours July 19, 2023 last.  In the 2023 assembly elections, Haque secured a total of 19,404 votes and defeated his nearest rival BJP candidate Taffajal Hossan by 4,849 votes. Taffajal Hossan secured 14,555 votes.

In the 60-member House BJP now has 31 MLAs while its ally - the Indigenous People Front of Tripura (IPFT) has one lawmaker. Tipra Motha won 13 seats in the last Assembly election held in February, while the Congress won three seats. CPI (M)'s tally has been reduced to 10 after Haque's death.