EVM commissioning from Feb 6th, postal ballot voting from Feb 8th, CEO

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will start the commissioning of EVMs from February 6 and continue up to February 8the next and on the same day the voting will officially start with postal ballot voting.

Addressing a press conference at the conference hall of DM(West) on Saturday evening, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura, Kiran Gitte said that  the printing of ballot papers has been started at the government press and amidst tight security , the voting through postal ballots will commence on February 8th.

Though, state have 100% coverage of Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs), the ECI will allow the voters to cast their votes with 12 alternative photo identity documents at the time of casting their votes including Aadhar card, MGNREGA card, bank pass book with photo, diving licence, Pan card, passport , service identity cards of government departments etc.

This time, ECI will set up 88 model polling stations along with  97 all women managed polling stations, 28 polling stations managed by persons with disabilities (PWD) and 33 more polling stations managed by youths across the state, said Gitte.

While highlighting detailed preparedness and massive enforcement drive across the state by the poll officials to ensure ‘zero poll violence’, Gitte said that till date a total of Rs. 29.25 crore amount seizure including  cash, narcotic items and freebies were collected by different enforcement agencies under direction of ECI.

He said that on Friday, the full bench of ECI had a video-conferencing meeting with all 8 DMs and SPs of the state to review the poll preparedness and security measures.

The ECI will also conduct another meeting with the Chief Secretaries of Tripura, Assam and Mizoram on February 9th for sealing the entire stretch inter-state borders with these three states, said Gitte and added that amidst massive preparations, the two special observers of the state will again coming in the state on Monday to review entire polling process. He said that border guards (BSF) have been asked to maintain tight security and strict surveillance in the entire 856 kms of Indo-Bangla border with Tripura with special measures in unfenced border areas.

However, 25 general observers, 8 police observers along with expenditure observers are already camping in the state .

He said that more than 200 companies of Central Arms Police Forces (CAPFs) have already arrived in the state; more jawans are coming on February 9th next, who will be deployed to polling station duties.

Sharing different preventive measures of the poll panel to maintain law and order, Gitte said that after January 18, altogether 36 cases were registered for pre-poll violence and police had also arrested 27 persons involved in the violence incidents. The Election department has so far received 1400 complaints through C-Vigil app and on average within 92 minutes of the registration of complaints, the poll officials rushed to the spot and had taken remedial measures.

He said that all measures have been taken for webcasting in all3,337 polling stations except 72 polling stations, where videography during poll day would be conducted through static mode as these polling stations do not have internet connectivity.