Agartala, Feb 15: Tripura is all set for the Assembly polls scheduled on Thursday. Polling will start at 7 am. Over 28 lakh voters will decide the political fate of 259 contesting candidates including 29 women.
All the poll personnel have reached their polling booths. There are a total of 3337 polling stations in the State. The Election Commission has set up model polling booths, all women, all youth and all Divyangs polling booths.
Adequate security measures have been put in place to ensure peaceful polling. Tripura CEO Kiran Gitte earlier appealed to the voters to exercise their democratic rights without any fear.
Senior BJP leader and incumbent Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik, State party President Rajib Bhattacharjee, Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Debbarman, senior CPI-M leader Jitendra Choudhury and Pabitra Kar, State Congress President Birjit Sinha and former Minister Sudip Roy Barman, among others are in the contest.
Meanwhile, more than 400 companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) are already in the state for the assembly elections. Besides, over 20,000 TSR and police personnel are also there in the state.
According to official sources, more than 85 per cent polling personnel have already reached their respective polling stations or are on the way.
Chief Electoral Officer of Tripura Kiran Gitte along with other officials inspected the arrangements in dispersal centre at Umakanta Academy, Agartala.
The Chief Electoral Officer earlier said the Election Commission planned a three-tier security arrangement for the elections and all 3337 booths would have deployment of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs).
Official sources confirmed that 88 model polling stations, 97 all-women polling stations, 33 youth managed and 28 PwD-managed polling stations would be set up in all sixty constituencies. In the model polling stations, the state's tradition and culture along with important tourist locations would be highlighted.
The Election Commission of India approved 12 documents for the voters, who don't have EPIC. (With inputs from AIR News)