Agartala: Jan 11: Assembly elections are coming up in the state. A delegation headed by the Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajeev Kumar arrived on a two-day visit to the state on Wednesday to review the preparations. The delegation also includes Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goyal. After visiting the state, the delegation held a review meeting with the representatives of all political parties at the state guest house in the afternoon.
The Chief Election Officer and the State Police Nodal Officer briefed the Commission with detailed information on the preparation phase and security of the Assembly elections. In this case, the DEO and Superintendent of Police of the concerned district informed the commission about the preparations for the work. Besides, delegations from central and state agencies meet in review with nodal officers. On this day, on behalf of various political parties, the speeches of their respective parties were presented. Meanwhile, CPIM State Secretary Jitendra Chowdhury demanded to the delegation of the Election Commission that measures be taken to organize fair, free and peaceful elections. Later, he told the media that if the Election Commission wants to conduct a fair election without fear. In the last five years, the constitution and human rights have been undermined in the state of Tripura.
Before 2018, people of the state used to vote for their aspirations, rights and respect. Demands have been made to do the same in the upcoming assembly elections. And the Election Commission to take some specific steps for this. Because all the elections held in the state of Tripura in the last five years have seen the looting of votes with the support of some top officers of the state police personnel as banana trees. Especially during the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission had to conduct re-elections in many booths, which has been recorded in the whole country. Highlighting these, it has been said that before the date of election is announced, it has been demanded to take this election as a challenge to highlight the correctness of the Constitution of India, the honor of the country, the glory, history and culture of the state of Tripura.
Jitendra Chowdhury said that there has been a demand to arrest the terrorists and show them to the whole country. He also said that he hoped that the delegation of the Election Commission would take action after presenting these demands in writing. Also, to make the Election Commission aware of the current situation clearly, put the flag of the opposition party in a car and ask it to go in any direction except the west, then the delegation of the Election Commission will be well informed about the current situation. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman met the Election Commission’s delegation and said that as they were informed about the problems faced by the voters of Tripura state in the past days, they also demanded the same steps to be taken.
Among these are significant steps to ensure proper use of police administration, security of polling stations and safe access of voters to polling stations. He said that they have assured the delegation about every issue. India’s Janata Party spokesperson Ashok Sinha said that security arrangements will be made in the border areas around the polls. Free, fair and peaceful elections have been demanded. On the other hand Spokesperson of the IPFT party, Bidhan Debbarma, said that demands have been made to hold a fair, peaceful and free election after meeting with the elected commission. Provincial President Pijush Kanti Biswas met the delegation of Election Commission on behalf of Trinamool Congress.
He said that the assurance of free, fair and peaceful elections seen in the past days has been given only on paper. In reality, peaceful elections are not seen in general elections and by-elections. As the voters could not go to the polling stations, even the candidates were physically harassed. At present, no political party in opposition is able to make any kind of party program for the Bike Force. In the past, after the Election Commission had promised peaceful elections, it was seen that no action was taken on Election Day. So it has been demanded that no bike can enter within 500 meters of the polling station on Election Day. There has been a demand to provide adequate number of security personnel on the roads so that the voters can reach the polling stations smoothly. For this, the central forces should be used properly. The delegation of the Election Commission was informed about the election preparation phase from the leadership of all the political parties. A meeting will be held with the state chief secretary, the state director general of police and all secretaries of the state government on Thursday. Later, a SVEEP ceremony will be held in front of Ujjayanta Palace, where voter identity cards will be issued among the new voters. This team of the commission includes senior officers.
