A senior official reported that over 11,000 voters registered in the electoral rolls of the East Tripura parliamentary constituency have utilized special voting procedures ahead of the polling day. These voters form part of the 13.96 lakh eligible electorate set to participate in the second phase of the Lok Sabha general elections scheduled for April 26. The intense campaigning for the politically significant Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved constituency concluded on Wednesday, as confirmed by Chief Electoral Officer Puneet Agarwal.
Agarwal provided insights into the election preparedness, stating, “Home voting for Persons with Disabilities and voters aged 85 and above was conducted on April 17 and 18, with 4,515 voters participating. Additionally, 165 individuals voted under the essential services category, while 6,379 voters cast their ballots through postal voting. A remarkable turnout of over 94 percent was recorded in all these cases.”
He further mentioned, “For service voters employed with the armed forces, we have received 353 postal votes out of the 4,682 ballots issued in this category. The remaining ballots are expected to arrive via postal services before the counting day deadline. Only those ballots received by 8 am on the day of counting will be considered valid.”
The East Tripura parliamentary constituency boasts a total of 13,96,761 eligible voters. Regarding the newly enrolled Bru voters, Agarwal stated, “There are 17,524 Bru voters in the state, with 16,300 expected to vote in the second phase, while the rest already participated in the first phase.”
With 1,664 polling stations, of which 444 are classified as sensitive and critical, adequate deployment of central armed forces is planned. Section 144 has been enforced, and liquor shops will remain closed for two days across the state to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.
Addressing complaints, Agarwal revealed, “We have received 85 complaints, with 79 already resolved and six under investigation. In East Tripura specifically, 18 complaints were received, 14 of which have been resolved, while four are being investigated.”
Agarwal clarified the confusion surrounding polling stations recording over 100 percent voter turnout during the first phase. He explained that Election Duty Certificates were issued to numerous officials, enabling them to vote in any polling station within their constituency. Polling stations with over 100 percent turnout were often near SDM offices, where reserved polling personnel were stationed, leading to voluntary voting.
The campaign for East Tripura concluded on Wednesday, with elections slated for April 26. The Lok Sabha polls commenced on April 19, with six remaining phases scheduled until June 1 to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. Results will be announced on June 4.
