AGARTALA, April 23 (TIWN): Repetition of West Tripura Election rigging is haunting the East Tripura too in many constituencies. In Jolaibari, Hrishyamuk, Kamalpur, Fatikroy, Khowai, Amarpur areas in front of securities, the polling agents of the opposition are allegedly being removed. Videos where many voters could not cast their votes are viral across social media. Public are saying, “Such lawless election was never seen before”. Thousands of voters could not cast their votes on being prevented by BJP. Rigging highest was observed at the South Tripura till 11 am report. On yesterday night 197 CCTV cameras were broken and around 170 could be repaired till 6 am’s report. Amid much securities, booth capturing trend has been started. Voting for East Tripura constituency has begun since 7 am, whereas rows of voters were observed since 4.30 am. Amid much threats of ruling BJP, there was no lack of enthusiasm in the voters. But at the same time massive rigging incidents are exposing, where voters, polling agents are stopped from visiting booths. On yesterday 197 CCTV cameras were damaged inside polling stations. After the revelation, East Tripura RO (Dhalai DM) Vikash Singh has spent all night to restore the cameras.

Total 197 cameras in 359 booths were found disable under the direct involvement of Dilip Dam, Area Manager of “Pho-Com-Net Pvt Ltd” and its owner Dipak Biswas.Dhalai DM has issued notice both Dilip Dam and Dipak Biswas.Former deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi has been appointed as special observer for Tripura.

 The Election Commission on Monday appointed former Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi as Special Observer for Tripura East Lok Sabha seat, where polling was deferred from the second (April 18) to the third (April 23) stage in view of the unconducive law and order situation, officials said here on Monday.

The EC, in an unprecedented move, has appointed six Observers including Zutshi, four Police Observers and two expenditure observers for Tuesday's balloting.

While Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti announced Zutshi's appointment, another Election Commission official here said that the poll panel had earlier appointed IAS officers Anil Kumar Singh, D.S. Gadhvi, Raja Bhaiya Prajapati, C. Murugan and Suresh Chandra Dalai as Observers.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, also said that for the first time, the poll panel has also appointed three Central Police Observers in the same parliamentary constituency and a Special Central Police Observer to closely oversee the use of security forces during polling.

IPS officers Nilabh Kishore, K. Jayaraman, Subrata Gangopadhyay are the Central Police Observers while former Manipur Police chief Mrinal Kanti Das is the Special Central Police Observer.

"We have never heard that the Election Commission has appointed so many observers in any other parliamentary constituency in the country," the official said.
Citing a "non-conducive security situation", following reports by the CEO, the Special Central Police Observer, Returning Officer Vikas Singh and intelligence inputs, the poll panel early last week had deferred voting to the seat.

According to a senior Tripura Police official, a record number of around 10,000 Central Para-Military Forces and Tripura State Rifles troopers and state police personnel are already posted in the mountainous constituency, reserved for ST.