7,000 security personnel deployed for Tripura re-polls

Agartala, May 11 (IANS) Over 7,000 security personnel have been deployed for the re-polls to the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat slated to be held on Sunday, a top police official said on Saturday.

The Election Commission (EC) decided to conduct the re-polls in 168 polling stations in 26 Assembly segments as electoral malpractices were found during voting in the first phase of the ongoing general elections on April 11.

"Over 7,000 paramilitary forces and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) troopers have been deployed in and around the 168 polling stations in four districts," th official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

However, Returning Officer (RO) of the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat Vikas Singh told IANS that inside the 168 polling stations only the paramilitary troopers were deployed.

An EC official said that around 925 polling personnel besides 168 each of sector officers and micro observers, have reached the polling stations.

Meanwhile, the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Congress are seeking directions from the Supreme Court against the EC's decision to hold re-polling in only 168 polling stations, instead of in the entire constituency.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Vice-President and senior lawyer Pijush Kanti Biswas told IANS on Saturday that senior Congress leaders and lawyers Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jairam Ramesh are doing the legal process and will file a Special Leave Petition in the apex court on April 13.

The re-polls were announced by the EC on Wednesday.

A total of 141,251 voters, including 69,328 female, are eligible to cast their vote.