By Firstdespatch Desk Feb 04, 2023
Agartala, February 4 (FD): Chief Electoral Officer, Kiran Dinkarrao Gitte today asserted that the ECI is committed for Mission Zero Violence and will fulfill its commitment.
He said, The ECI has launched the ‘Mission Zero Violence’ to boost voter turnout this year and said the Commission would provide a ‘level playing field’ to ensure that no “partisan attitude” was shown to any party or candidate.
He said since January 18, when the state assembly elections were announced, 36 FIRs on poll-related violence were registered and 27 persons were arrested over these cases.
Speaking to reporters here this evening, the CEO said most of these cases are related to arson on political party offices, damaging of poll campaign materials, assaults on people, vandalism on cars, threatening and intimidation etc. He said allegations came from almost all major political parties and are targeted at almost all of them.
The arrests show they are across political lines as well.
However, the official said the incidents of violence are much less this year compared to the 2018 assembly elections, when as many as 54 FIR’s related to pre-poll violence had occurred ina similar timeframe.“This year, we have one much more activities regarding preventive detentions of history shelters, trouble mannerism vulnerable areas and many of them were asked to provide bonds.
We believe violence would not be faced as much ahead”,
The entire 856 Km long international border would be sealed off prior to the poll process while those having unfenced patches would be closed down with intensive patrolling and CCTV surveillance 7 days before polls. The Commission has seized different contraband items worth Rs. 29.25 crore including Rs. 3.5 crore unaccounted cash, Rs. 1.23 crore liquor, narcotics worth Rs. 14 crore, jewels worth Rs. 6 lakhs and freebies worth Rs. 7.9 crores.In order to ensure peaceful Assembly polls on February 16, 400 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel are being deployed on poll duty in Tripura this year. Initially, 100 companies of CAPF had arrived and were deployed in interior areas of the state. FD SB