Tripura polls: violence reported at several places

AGARTALA, FEB 16

(IANS): Many incidents of attacks on political workers, intimidation and obstruction of voters were reported from different districts.

At least 60 opposition party workers were injured after the ruling party workers allegedly attacked them in Gomati, Sepahijala, South Tripura and West Tripura districts.

The main opposition CPI-M alleged that the BJP workers evicted their candidates’ polling agents in more than 25 polling stations in four districts.

Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gitte

Kirankumar Dinkarrao said that wherever the authority got any information of trouble, security forces were immediately rushed to those areas to resolve the problems. A senior police officer said that a constable was suspended in Gomati district for his alleged role in urging people to cast their votes in favour of the ruling BJP.

Opposition parties, including the CPI-M and the Congress, complained that at several places, including Santirbazar, Hrishamukh, Dhanpur and Kakraban, the ruling

20-fold increase in seizures in Tripura, Nagaland, M’laya: EC

NEW

DELHI, FEB 16

(IANS): The Election

Commission on Thursday said that seizures of over Rs 147 crore have been recorded so far in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland, marking a 20 times increase as compared to the Assembly Elections in 2018.

“Due to the coordinated efforts of enforcement agencies, extensive monitoring, marking of expenditure sensitive constituencies and adequate deployment of field teams, the three states witnessed seizures of Rs 147.84 crore after the announcement of elections which surpasses the seizures made in the entire duration of enforcement of the model code of conduct in the 2018 Assembly Elections, which was all of Rs 7.24 crore,” the EC said.

“In an operation, 3.53 kg of heroin valued at Rs 10.58 crore was seized by police in Dhalai district of Tripura. The Directorate of party workers obstructed the voters supporting the opposition parties.

Revenue Intelligence also seized 2.44 kg of heroin in East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya and 2.27 kg in Chumoukedima district in Nagaland.

“In Tripura, seeing the sensitivity of drugs and illegal ganja cultivation, a special team consisting of district police personnel, forest officials, BSF, antinarcotics and other agencies was formed in Sepahijhala and West Tripura districts,” the EC said.

Drugs valued at crores of rupees have been destroyed in Tripura.

During its visit to Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland in January, the Election Commission had reviewed the preparations along with the Central and state enforcement agencies.

While announcing the poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stressed increased vigilance and zero tolerance on distribution of inducements during the electoral process.

Earlier, men, women and first-time voters queued up in front of the polling stations well before the voting started at 7 a.m. in eight districts. Reang tribals, who were displaced 26 years ago from Mizoram following ethnic trouble, and voters residing in the zero line of the India-Bangladesh border (outside the fencing) also exercised their franchise.

The CEO said that a total of 259 candidates, including 31 women, are in the fray for the election to the 60-member House, and of them, the highest number of candidates (55) has been fielded by the ruling BJP, followed by the CPI-M (43), Tipra Motha Party (42), Trinamool Congress (28), and Congress (13).

A total of 58 Independent candidates and 14 nominees from various smaller parties are also contesting the elections.

Around 31,000 personnel were stationed at 3,327 polling stations to conduct the elections. In all, 28.14 lakh voters, including 13.99 lakh women, were eligible to cast their votes in Thursday’s balloting.

A senior police officer said that the Union Home Ministry has provided 400 companies (30,000 security personnel) of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) while around 9,000 Tripura State Rifles jawans and over 6,000 Tripura Police personnel were deployed to hold fair and violence-free elections.