Agartala, Sep 15 (IANS): Over 15,000 central and state security personnel will be deployed to ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of the September 28 Village Committee elections in Tripura’s tribal areas, officials said on Tuesday.
A senior police official said that around 74 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), with an actual deployment of around 5,000 personnel, along with 10,000 personnel of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and Tripura Police, would provide security for the politically important elections to the Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas.
“Of the 74 companies of CAPF, 47 companies have already arrived in Tripura, and the remaining forces would be available in the state by Wednesday,” the official told IANS.
According to the official, the TSR and state police, led by district Superintendents of Police and other senior officials, have already started area-wise patrolling and route marches to maintain peaceful law and order in the run-up to the Village Committee elections.
He said that the elite Tripura State Rifles have been very efficient in handling election-related duties.
During the Lok Sabha elections held between April 19 and June 1, 2024, TSR personnel were deployed for election duties in Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha and Himachal Pradesh. In addition to providing security during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the Indian Reserve battalions of the Tripura State Rifles have performed election duties in almost every state of the country, ensuring security during both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls over the years.
The Tripura State Election Commission (TSEC) earlier announced that elections to 4,597 seats in 2,634 constituencies covering 587 Village Committees — equivalent to Gram Panchayats in the non-TTAADC areas — would be held on September 28 after a gap of 10 years.
State Election Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Chakraborty, during a virtual meeting on Monday, reviewed the overall security and administrative arrangements for the Village Committee elections across the state.
Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Rao, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Manchak Ipper, Commission Secretary Anurag Sen, all the District Magistrates and several other officials participated in the meeting.
Meanwhile, an official of the Tripura State Election Commission said that the ruling BJP’s ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), won 1,557 seats, or 33.87 per cent of the total 4,597 seats, unopposed in the elections to 587 Village Committees under the TTAADC areas.
The BJP secured 81 seats, or 1.76 per cent, uncontested following the completion of the withdrawal of nomination papers on September 11, the official said.
According to the SEC official, following the election of candidates in a large number of seats without contest, polling would now be held in 2,954 seats in 44 of the total 52 blocks across eight districts of Tripura.
After 1,069 candidates of various political parties, including the TMP, BJP and CPI (M), withdrew their nominations, a total of 9,820 candidates are now in the fray for the Village Committee elections.
