26 Poll Officers Suspended In Tripura Over 1700 Voters Refuse To Vote

The East Tripura parliamentary constituency witnessed the culmination of its electoral process on Friday night, with the final voter turnout reaching 79.66 percent by the last report.

Across 1,664 polling stations in the constituency, elections were held until 8 pm, as informed by Chief Electoral Officer Puneet Agarwal. The scrutiny of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is scheduled for Saturday, which is expected to provide clarity on the final turnout, likely to see an increase.

Responding to inquiries regarding instances of poll boycott, Agarwal stated, “In two polling stations, voters chose to boycott the elections to express their grievances. Concerns over poor road conditions and insufficient development in their areas prompted the boycott. Upon notification of these concerns, local officials made efforts to address them, respecting the decision of the voters.”

Agarwal expressed gratitude for the peaceful conduct of polling in East Tripura and thanked voters for their participation. “The final turnout until 8 pm reached 80.32 percent in the East Tripura parliamentary constituency. I extend my thanks to all voters who cast their ballots across the 1,664 polling stations,” remarked the Tripura Chief Electoral Officer.

Regarding voter turnout in specific polling stations, Agarwal detailed, “Polling stations 41/3 Natonglal Para JB School and 44/5 Sandaimohan Para JB School reported a total of 649 and 1,059 eligible voters, respectively. Only two votes were cast in 41/3, while 12 votes were recorded in the latter.”

Addressing complaints, Agarwal noted, “A total of 92 complaints were received and promptly addressed. As a result, 26 poll officials were suspended for violating conduct rules.”

Earlier in the day, Returning Officer Saju Vaheed assured voters of comprehensive arrangements to facilitate voting. “Polling is progressing smoothly, with monitoring from the control room. Any EVM-related issues have been resolved. In shadow areas, we utilize radio and wireless communication channels, including Ham Radio, to ensure connectivity,” Vaheed elaborated.