By-election going on peacefully under tight security in Tripura

Barjala (Tripura) [India], Nov.19 (ANI): Under tight security by-elections for two Tripura assembly seats started from 7 a.m. on Saturday. Both opposition and ruling parties are considering these by-polls significance as the state is going for the crucial assembly in next 14 months time. By-elections are taking in the Scheduled Caste (Reserved) Barjala and Khowai assembly constituencies. Security arrangements with central paramilitary along with Tripura State Rifles were made to hold the by-elections in both the assembly segments peacefully and smoothly. Voters and political party representatives expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements. The Election Commission has appointed three central observes to oversee the polling in the two assembly seats and for the first time webcasting of the polling is also taking place. The Barjala seat fell vacant after Congress legislator Jitendra Sarkar resigned on June 6 following an internal feud within the party while the Khowai seat has been vacant since the death of veteran CPI-M legislator Samir Deb Sarkar. Both by-polls would be four-cornered contests, among Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led ruling Left Front, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. Five candidates each are contesting from the two constituencies. In all 39,007 voters, including 18,935 females, will be eligible to cast ballot in the Barjala constituency. In Khowai, 39,400 voters are eligible, among them 19,436 are women. Mina Das, a voter, said, "Here voting is taking place peacefully and there is no problem. Always here election takes place calmly and the queue will be very long after 10 a.m." Dipali Sutradhar, another voter, said, "Here the security force personnel are doing their duties in a very good manner and accordingly. There is no indiscipline, it never happens and this time also it is peaceful." Sushanta Choudhury, a Trinamool Congress leader, also spoke on the occasion. (ANI)