Security Intensified In Poll Bound Tripura

Tight security arrangement has been done by the election commission centering the upcoming Tripura Assembly Elections.

Over 43,000 security personnel, including Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and state police, will be deployed to provide security for the February 16 assembly elections in Tripura.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has agreed to provide 400 companies of CAPFs (30,000 security personnel) for a fair and violence-free assembly election.

Besides the CAPFs, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, around 8,000 TSR jawans and over 5,000 Tripura police personnel would also be deployed.

200 companies of CAPFs have already arrived in Tripura and deployed in different parts of the state, while 200 more companies of CAPFs would arrive by the first week of February, official confirmed.

The CAPFs are deployed for area domination, patrolling, flag march, vehicle patrolling, naka duty, raids besides anti-insurgency operations.

According to the official, a total of 192 naka points (check gates) have been set up at various strategic locations after the announcement of the assembly election schedule by the Election Commission on January 16.

“Naka ​​checking is going on regularly at all naka points. Special vehicle checking is also going on. A special drive for vehicle checking was launched and more than 11,000 vehicles were checked,” the official said.

He said that more than 1,700 flag marches and area domination patrolling have been conducted so far with the joint participation of the State Police, TSR and CAPFs to maintain the sense of security among the people in the State.

A senior election official said the Border Security Force (BSF), which is deployed along Bangladesh’s borders, will not only intensify its vigil but also remain in touch with its counterparts – the Border Guards Bangladesh – to prevent illegal entry into India.

“The BSF will immediately convene a meeting with its counterparts to sensitize them to adopt a more cautious approach in view of the upcoming assembly elections in Tripura,” he said.

Three special observers of the Election Commission visited Tripura for five days and reviewed the preparations and security arrangements for the February 16 polls.

The three special observers are Yogendra Tripathi, a retired IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre. Former Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh Vivek Johri and IRS officer B. Murli Kumar, who was a special observer in the assembly elections of Gujarat (2022) and West Bengal (2021).

The official said the supervisors instructed that wherever possible, drones should be used to detect marijuana plantations and other enforcement measures.