Decks ready for polling in Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency

Agartala: All necessary measures have been taken to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in the Tripura East parliamentary constituency that will go to polls in the second and final phase on Friday, an election official said.

A total of 13.96 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. Out of them, 7.02 lakh are males, 6.94 lakh are females and 13 are transgenders.

The constituency has 38,245 voters in the age group of 18-19 years, 4,678 service voters, and 8,942 voters above 85 years old.

Although nine candidates are in the fray, BJP candidate Kriti Devi Debbarman will be engaged in a direct battle against INDIA bloc nominee Rajendra Reang, a former CPI(M) MLA.

The constituency has 1,664 polling stations under 30 assembly segments of which 61 are model polling stations, while 67 are women-managed ones.

As many as 16,260 Bru voters, settled in different locations, will cast their votes in the parliamentary constituency.

Basic facilities such as drinking water, power supply, ramp for the specially-abled voters, toilets, and sheds have been made in all polling centres.

"All preparations have been made to conduct the elections to Tripura East Parliamentary constituency scheduled to be held on Friday. Around 60 per cent of polling parties have already left for polling booths with election materials, including EVMs and VVPATs," the Returning Officer (RO), Saju Vaheed, said.

He said adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling and arrangements for live webcasting have been made in all the 1,664 polling stations.

A total of 18 complaints were received from the different political parties so far, and 14 complaints have already been addressed, said another election official.