By-poll to four assembly constituencies will start at 7 am on Thursday and will continue till 5 pm.
A total of 22 candidates of different political parties are competing in this By-election. Among these candidates, 6 candidates are competing in 6-Agartala Assembly Constituency, 6 candidates are competing in 8-Town Bardowali Assembly Constituency, 5 candidates are competing in 46-Surma (SC) Assembly Constituency and 5 candidates are competing in 57-Jubarajnagar Assembly Constituency. There are total 1 lakh 89 thousand 32 voters in four Assembly Constituencies, among which 93 thousand 638 voters are male and 95 thousand 389 voters are female and five voters are third gender.
As many as 673 service voters have cast their votes through Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS). Apart from that, and 841 votes have been cast through postal ballot.
Apart from that, 1,107 voters are of above 80 years of age and 184 Divyangan voters have cast their votes for the first time in the category of Absentee voter. A total of 281 voters in 6-Agartala Assembly Constituency, 377 voters in 8-Bardowali Assembly Constituency, 206 voters in 46-Surma (SC) Assembly Constituency and 427 voters in 57-Jubarajnagar Assembly Constituency have already cast their votes under this category.
Total 95% votes have been caste through postal ballot.
The Chief Election officer also said, there are total 221 voting centres in four Assembly Constituencies for the Bye-elections. Among these voting centres, 6-Agartala and 8-Town Bardowali Assembly Constituencies have two voting centres each and 46-Surma (SC) and in 57-Jubarajnagar Assembly Constituency have one women managed voting centre each. He informed that electricity, internet service, drinking water and ramp for Divyangjans have been arranged in each of the voting centres. Apart from that, in case of rainfall, waiting shed has been arranged for voters in different voting centres. Section 144 has been imposed already in four Assembly Constituencies to ensure peaceful voting process. Apart from that, there is arrangement for webcasting. All the necessary equipments have been installed for this. He also said that a helpline number has been started separately in every Assembly Constituency in case of any problem is faced by a voter while casting vote. Helpline number for 6-Agartala Assembly Constituency is 0381-23225937/ 2383646 and WhatsApp number is 9863201665.
The helpline number for 8-Town Bardowali Assembly Constituency is 0381-2325937 and WhatsApp number is 8132941764. The helpline number for 46-Surma (SC) Assembly Constituency is 03826-262222 and WhatsApp number is 9485011051 and the helpline number for 57-Jubarajnagar Assembly Constituency is 03822-220202 and WhatsApp number is 7005568460.
The Chief Election Officer informed that, about 100% of voters of the state have been provided with their voter identity cards.
More 40,000 new voter identity cards and 30 thousand corrected voter identity cards have been distributed among the voters of the state in this January. Voters can also cast their votes using any of the 12 identity documents granted by the state or the central government: Aadhar cards MGNREGA job cards, bank or post office passbook with photo, health insurance smart cards, driving licence, PAN cards, smart card granted by RGI, passport, pension document with photo, service identity card, official identity cards of MPs/MLAs/MLCs, Unique Digitability identity card (UDID).
The Chief Election Officer Kiran Gitte in a press conference informed that police personnel and central para military forces have been deployed for peaceful conduction of Bye-election. Among them, 10 companies have been deployed for two constituencies in Agartala and more 10 companies of central para military forces have been deployed for Surma and Jubarajnagar assembly constituencies. Apart from that, 5 companies of TSR will also stay deployed for peaceful voting. It is to be noted that, out of 221 voting centres, 10 have been informed to be very sensitive, 59 have been informed to be sensitive, 4 have been informed to be risk full and 148 centres have been informed to be in normal condition by the police.
The Chief Election Officer Kiran Gitte called everyone to cast their own votes in a fearless environment and healthy manner. Others present were Additional Chief Election Officer Ushajen Mog and IG (Law and Order) G.S Rao.
