Atmosphere perfectly conducive for LS polls in Tripura: CEO

Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti while addressing a press conference said that he hopes for the peaceful, free and fair Parliament election in Tripura. He also said that the atmosphere for Lok Sabha polls in the state is "perfectly conducive" in the wake of allegations by the opposition.

Agartala: Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanti on Sunday said the atmosphere for Lok Sabha elections in the state is "perfectly conducive". Taranikanti's comments came in the wake of allegations
by the opposition CPI(M) about largescale pre-poll violence.

Addressing a press conference here, he said, "We hope to conduct a peaceful, free and fair Parliament election in Tripura, because the situation is conducive. The Centre has assured to dispatch adequate security forces for smooth conduct of polls."

A total of 25,98,290 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise on April 11 and April 18 in the West Tripura and East Tripura (ST) Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively. CPI(M) state secretary had claimed in February that over 1,500 persons came under attack in incidents of poll violence in the last few months in the state.

Taranikanti, however, said adequate central security forces would be deployed in Tripura. "We shall deploy flying squads, static surveillance teams and video surveillance teams to ensure observance of the model code of conduct.

Election observers shall also visit the state. We have an atmosphere perfectly conducive for holding Parliament elections here," he said. The CEO said that some complaints on poll-related issues were lodged in each of the eight districts of Tripura, but most of them were resolved.