In order to ensure peaceful, free and fair voting , the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken massive preparations across Tripura and poll panel  has also taken elaborate arrangement for the voters to cast their vote without any fear, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura, Puneet Agarwal.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday evening, Agarwal accompanied by additional CEOs Subhasish Bandopadhyay and Usha Jen Mog said that the vocal campaigns for the elections to West Tripura Parliamentary Constituency and by-poll for 7-Ramnagar assembly seat will come to end on Wednesday (April 17) afternoon 5 PM and no political party can organize or participate any kind of poll campaigns including meeting rallies, road show etc.

The elections for West Tripura PC and by-poll for Ramnagar assembly seat will begin from 7 AM of  April 19 and will continue up to 5 PM, said Agarwal and added that poll panel has issued direction to all outside voters to go their respective places from the jurisdiction of West Tripura PC and Commission has also asked all the SDMs and AROs to ensure the guideline.

Giving details of the security arrangements, the CEO said that all the polling stations will be guarded by Central Arms Police Forces (CAPFs) and web-casting will be conducted in all polling stations.

Out of total all polling stations, 391 polling stations has been categorized ‘vulnerable and 171 polling stations has been categorized as critical polling stations for West Tripura PC, said Agarwal and added that similarly, 384 polling stations are vulnerable polling stations and 40 are critical polling stations under East Tripura parliamentary constituency.

He said that basic facilities like drinking water, toilets and supply of electricity in all polling stations has been ensured. He said that the postal ballot voting of 12,800 voters under West Tripura PC have almost completed and rest voting through postal ballots would be completed by April 17.

Agarwal added that till date, the poll panel has received 62 poll related complaints and so far, the Commission has resolved 59 complaints and taken necessary actions and based on the complaints, altogether 13 government employees were suspended for violation of model code of conduct (MCC).

The Commission has also restricted any kind of exit polls from morning 7 AM of April 19 to 6 PM of June 1st, said Agarwal.