Agartala: The high-octane election campaign ahead of the Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly constituency elections concluded on Sunday, with voters preparing to cast their votes on Tuesday.
Poll officials have already started departing for their respective polling stations, as polling is scheduled to commence at 7 am on Tuesday morning.
Security arrangements have been tightened throughout the area, and international borders with Bangladesh have been sealed in anticipation of the elections.
Speaking to EastMojo about the matter, District Magistrate Sepahijala Dr. Vishal Kumar said that all the necessary arrangements had been made in preparation for the elections.
“A total of 15 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have arrived for poll duty. In each polling station, a half-section (four troopers) of security personnel will be deployed. Patrolling is also being conducted in areas where MCC is in force to instill confidence among the voters,” Dr. Kumar told EastMojo.
Regarding the people living in villages on the Bangladesh side of the fencing, he said, “Around 1,700 voters live on the other side of the fencing. They possess a BSF-issued special ID card. They can enter through the border gates in the morning to cast their votes, but exit will be restricted until the evening. Once the last vote is cast, the border gates will open for their return to their villages.”
According to data from the Election Commission of India, over 95,000 voters are eligible to cast their votes in the by-elections. Special arrangements have also been made for elderly voters and service voters. A total of 110 polling stations have been set up in different areas of both constituencies to ensure a smooth polling process.
On the last day of campaigning, all major political parties, except TIPRA Motha, were actively canvassing for their candidates.
Senior BJP leaders such as Minister Ratan Lal Nath, Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik, Mayor Dipak Majumder, Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy, and others held separate meetings in various areas of the poll-bound constituencies.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Saha also addressed public meetings and conferences of party workers, urging Congress voters to support INDIA alliance candidates. On the other hand, CPIM conducted a lacklustre campaign for their candidates.
TIPRA Motha, the principal opposition party in Tripura, abstained from the electoral contest but conducted some campaigns in the ADC areas falling under the assembly segments. The party had advised voters to cast their vote freely.
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It is worth mentioning that the Dhanpur assembly seat became vacant due to the resignation of BJP heavyweight Pratima Bhoumik from the state assembly just days after her election. The need for by-polls in Boxanagar arose following the sudden demise of CPIM leader Samsul Haque.
Unlike the 2023 assembly elections, this is a direct electoral battle between the ruling BJP and the CPIM.
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