The Election Commission has dispatched a dedicated team of five observers to oversee the transparent and secure conduct of elections for the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat and the Ram Nagar assembly by-election.
This team, comprising general, police, and expenditure observers, underscores the Commission's commitment to comprehensive election monitoring. Moreover, additional observers are slated for deployment in the East Tripura (ST) seat shortly.
Heading the team are IAS officers Vibek L. Bhimanwar and Bhupesh Chowdhury, serving as general observers, while IPS officers Ram Kumar and Dr. R. Shiv Kumar are tasked with overseeing police operations. Pradip Sharma, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, assumes the role of expenditure observer.
In tandem with central paramilitary forces, the Election Commission has implemented robust measures to ensure voter security. Notably, paramilitary patrols are actively present in sensitive zones, acting as a deterrent against potential disruptions and bolstering voter confidence.
Chief Electoral Officer Puneet Agarwal has stressed the pivotal role of police and paramilitary forces in upholding the integrity of the electoral process during discussions with officers. Additionally, the Commission is diligently enforcing campaign guidelines to ensure that all political parties comply with regulations regarding the display of campaign materials.
Furthermore, polling staff are undergoing intensive training to proficiently operate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and execute election procedures, thus contributing to a seamless electoral process.
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