Tripura Lok Sabha Polls: Voting in Two Phases on April 19 and 26

The Election Commission of India has announced that the polling for the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura, Tripura West and Tripura East, will be held in two phases on April 19 and 26 respectively. The bypoll for the Ramnagar assembly constituency will also take place on April 19.

Agartala, March 16: The Election Commission of India (EC) has announced that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tripura will be conducted in two phases. The Tripura West seat will go to the polls on April 19, while the Tripura East seat will witness voting on April 26.

Bypoll for Ramnagar Assembly Constituency

In addition to the Lok Sabha elections, a bypoll will also be held for the Ramnagar assembly constituency on April 19. The seat fell vacant following the unfortunate demise of BJP MLA Surajit Dutta in December 2022.

Key Dates for Tripura West Seat

For the Tripura West seat, the last date for filing nominations is March 27, with scrutiny scheduled for March 28. The final date for the withdrawal of nomination papers is March 30.

Key Dates for Tripura East Seat

For the Tripura East seat, the last date for submitting nomination papers is April 4, followed by scrutiny on April 5. The last date for withdrawal is April 8.

Security Arrangements for Tripura West

To ensure free, fair, and peaceful polling, approximately 30 companies of central forces will be deployed to guard the 1,685 polling booths in the Tripura West constituency. Of the total 793 polling booths, 150 have been identified as vulnerable and will receive extra precautionary measures.

Number of Eligible Voters

In the Tripura West seat, there are 14.61 lakh eligible voters, while the Tripura East seat has 13.95 lakh voters. The Ramnagar assembly segment has 45,669 registered voters.

Political Parties and Candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb as its candidate for the Tripura West seat. Kriti Singh Debbarma, sister of Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Debbarma, will contest from the Tripura East seat on a BJP ticket.

The Congress has named its state president, Ashis Kumar Saha, as its candidate for the Tripura West constituency. The party is keeping the doors open for a CPIM candidate in the Tripura East seat.

The upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tripura and the bypoll for the Ramnagar assembly constituency have set the stage for intense political competition. With the EC announcing the schedule and key dates, the electoral machinery is gearing up to facilitate the smooth conduct of the polls and ensure the democratic exercise of voting for the citizens of Tripura.