Election Commission of India’s three Special Observers for Tripura asked the state government officials and CAPF top guns to leave no stone unturned to ensure free and fair polls in the state. The three observers Yogendra Tripathy, retired IAS officer of Karnataka cadre; Vivek Johri, former Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh; and B. Murali Kumar, IRS officer reviewed the poll preparations in the state in a meeting with the senior most officials of the state civil and police administrations. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary J K Sinha, DGP Amitabh Ranjan, ADG Saurabh Tripathi, CEO Kiran Gitte, IGP L Darlong, IGP Soumitra Dhar, IGP G S Rao and senior CAPF officials.
The Observers later also discussed poll related matters with the District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police via Video Conferencing.
According to sources the Special Observers expressed satisfaction at the poll preparedness but advised the officials not to leave anything to chances and a fool-proof arrangements should be put in place.
In all likelihood the political parties will also meet the observers and apprised them of the state’s pre –poll situation from their own point of views.
Official sources said, after Tripura, the observers will proceed to another poll-bound state Meghalaya, where elections will be held on February 27.
Besides the special observers, the EC has also appointed five other categories of observers — general, police, expenditure, micro and counting.
The poll panel has so far deployed around 200 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in Tripura and more CAPF comprising Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force companies are expected to arrive in the state.
“The flag marches by the CAPF have already started since the second week of this month to ensure confidence building among the political workers for campaigning and among the citizens to cast their votes freely without any fear. The security forces are deployed well before the poll process so that they get familiar with the locality. Local police should extend necessary cooperation to the CAPF,” an EC official said.
The poll body on January 19 ordered an inquiry into attacks on a Congress bike rally in Majlishpur Assembly constituency in West Tripura district and next day asked the state government to suspend a Sub-Divisional Police Officer and remove two Officer-in-Charge of two police stations.
The election authorities also suspended one sector officer in South Tripura Ajay Das for dereliction of duties.
