AGARTALA: The Election Commission (EC) will set up 60 all-women polling stations in Tripura, a top official said here on Wednesday. “At least 60 all-women polling stations would be set up in the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Tripura.
All the polling and security personnel would be women in these stations,” Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanti told IANS. He said 30 Assembly segments exist in each of the two Lok Sabha constituencies — Tripura East and Tripura West —and one all-women polling station would be set up in each Assembly segment following an advisory by the EC.
A total of 26,05,325 people, including 12,85,618 women, are eligible to cast their votes. Around 20,000 polling personnel, including women, would be appointed to conduct the parliamentary polls in Tripura, the CEO said.
Special central police observer Mrinal Kanti Das, who is a former director general of Manipur Police, arrived here on Wednesday to “monitor the deployment of security and supervise other security related aspects before and during the elections”.
The EC has also appointed nine central observers, two police observers and four expenditure observers for the elections in the state. The majority of the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF) have already arrived in the state
A Tripura home department official, who refused to disclose his identity, said the state election authority had sought 150 companies of CPMF but the Union home ministry refused to provide such a large number. “Around 60 companies of CPMFs are likely to be posted in Tripura before and during the elections,” he added.
There are 13 candidates in the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat and 10 in the Tripura East constituency (reserved for the tribals). Three women candidates are contesting the parliamentary polls this time. Tripura West goes to the polls in the first phase on April 11 and Tripura East in the second phase on April 18. (Agencies)