AGARTALA, Dec 9 (TIWN): To ensure free and fair election, security arrangements are massively tightened in all the polling booths. Almost in all the polling booths, required numbers of security personnel’s are deployed to look after the peaceful conduct of the election.

A huge number of 6,600 security personnel are deployed to conduct free and fair election in the state. However, with the efforts of the security personnel’s the vote cast is yet observed under peaceful circumstances and there is no report of any untoward incident in the Agartala Municipal Corporation.

It is to be mention here that the security measures are also increased at the police station and the outpost under the municipal and the Nagar panchayat areas.

Security personnel’s were also witnessed controlling the chaos in the polling centre and were also taking initiatives to maintain the queue of the voters peacefully.

Eyeing forward to peaceful election the Union Home Ministry sanctioned the deployment of 15 companies of Central Para Military Forces (CPMF) for election duties and are deployed in almost all the polling booths of the state.

It is worthy to mention that earlier, the union ministry had rejected the proposal of Tripura government for deployment of CPMFs during civic polls, but after repeated request of the state government, the union ministry approved the state government’s plea.

Fifteen companies of CPMFs are deployed in guarding strong rooms where EVMs are to be kept. The CPMF jawans have already taken possession of twenty strong rooms where EVMs will be kept after the polling on December 9. In all, 86 mobile patrolling teams are conducting close surveillance during the polls. Adequate number of personnel from CRPF, BSF and Assam Rifles is deployed in and around the polling stations.

The security personnel’s are also keeping a close eye on the Electronic Voting Machines to avoid any malfunctioning.  EVM are used to conduct the elections in the municipal bodies while old Bungo and Godrej type ballot boxes would be used for the by-polls to the gram panchayats and panchayat samities.

Five armed cops are engaged to guard A category booth while three armed policemen are deployed to keep surveillance to each B category booth.

The ruling Left Front and the opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the main contenders.