Lok Sabha Polls
Agartala: Even as the Lok Sabha election schedule is yet to be announced, the state election authority has geared up for conducting the process smoothly, official sources confirmed here on Sunday.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashutosh Jindal has already held meeting with senior police officials to review the prevailing law and order situation in the state and know the additional troops to be required to conduct the general election free and fair at Civil Secretariat here today.
Inspector General (Law and Order) Anurag Dhankar, DIG (Range) Sourabh Tripathi, SPs of eight districts and SDPOs were remained present in the important meeting.
After the marathon meeting on security aspect, all the police officers went to Police Headquarters where the IG (law and Order) had a meeting to discuss various issues related to the next general election.
However, it has been learnt that the police authority would assess the latest law and order situation and submit it before the state election machinery for taking up the issue with the Election Commission.
According to preliminary assessment, the state needs 109 companies of additional central forces to conduct the elections smoothly though the law and order situation appears normal in the state.
Additional CPMFs have been sought to guard 3095 polling stations during the Lok Sabha elections, said a top police officer on condition of anonymity. As per the Election Commission’s guideline, Central Forces will be deployed in guarding polling stations and strong rooms to ensure tight vigil during and aftermath of the polling.
“To follow the EC guideline, we need additional troops from the Centre to conduct the Lok Sabha elections free and fair. Now, the EC will take decision how many additional companies of CPMF it will dispatch for Tripura”, he said.
As per our assessment, the law and order situation in Tripura is quite normal with no major militant strike is reported to the police for the past one year, he said adding that the BSF authority had already been asked to get ready for ensuring effecting border vigil in the run up to the general election.
The Election Commission is likely to declare poll schedule by first week of March and first phase of election will take place in first part of April, according to sources.
