The high voltage campaign for the Tripura Assembly election ended at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The district administrations have enforced Section 144 of the Cr.PC during night as a precautionary measure to conduct free and peaceful election on February 16.
Violence marred the campaigning with allegations that the majority of the untoward incidents were perpetrated by the members of the ruling BJP. Two Opposition supporters were killed and at least a hundred people injured in the clashes and targeted attacks since December last.
On the last day of the campaign, four supporters of the BJP were injured in an attack allegedly by the supporters of the Tipraha Indigenous Peoples Regional Alliance at Charilam constituency in Sepahijala district. A team of fire service and emergency services rescued them and shifted them to the hospital.
Chairman of Tripura Commission for Women Barnali Goswami sustained minor injuries in an attack at Dharmanagar town in north Tripura on Tuesday. She lodged a complaint with the Election Commission blaming BJP members for the incident.
Ms. Goswami herself was with the BJP before her appointment as Chairman of the women’s panel. The attack occurred a few days after a member of her family snapped ties with the saffron party.
Despite complaints of attack, threat and intimidation, Chief Electoral Officer Kiran Gitte assured full security to conduct free, fair and peaceful election. He regretted that despite sincere efforts they could not have ‘zero poll violence’, but claimed the situation had been largely peaceful.
Mr. Gitte urged parties and candidates to adhere to rules and instructions during the ‘silence period’ after the end of the campaigning. He hoped that voter turnout would be over 90% as in the past.
28,13,478 voters, second highest among northeastern States, are eligible to exercise their franchise. Almost half of the voters are women. About 3,328 voting centres have been set up in the State.
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