Tripura’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjeet Agarwal, has affirmed the comprehensive steps taken to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful byelection in two key Assembly constituencies—Dhanpur and Boxanagar. Scheduled for September 5, the preparations for these crucial byelections have been set into motion.
A significant stride towards this goal was a strategic meeting held on August 10, where CEO Agarwal convened with the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police. Their discussions revolved around meticulously organizing the arrangements to facilitate seamless byelections.
To operationalize this endeavor, the notification for the byelection in Dhanpur and Boxanagar has already been officially released. The process is further supported by the appointment of Returning Officers for both Assembly constituencies. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ensured the dispatch of additional forces essential for the conduct of these byelections.
CEO Agarwal conveyed, “The model code of conduct is now in effect exclusively within the poll-bound Sepahijala district.” The approach towards transparency is evident through the decision to subject every polling booth to webcasting, ensuring a clear and unambiguous byelection process.
Notable figures concerning the constituencies shed light on the scale of the endeavor. The Boxnagar Assembly constituency accommodates 43,087 electors across 51 polling booths. Meanwhile, Dhanpur boasts 50,147 voters distributed among 59 polling booths.
With the last date for filing nominations set for August 17, the scrutiny of these submissions will take place on August 18. Contestants will have until August 21 to withdraw their nominations. The culmination of this process will occur on September 8, when the votes will be counted.
The need for these byelections stems from a vacancy in the Dhanpur Assembly constituency due to the resignation of Union Minister of State (MOS), Pratima Bhoumik. Additionally, the demise of CPI(M)’s Samsul Haque, the elected representative of the Boxanagar constituency, in July, has prompted this democratic exercise.
As the stage is set for these pivotal byelections, Tripura’s commitment to a robust electoral process is evident, with every measure in place to uphold the principles of democracy and ensure the people’s voice is faithfully heard.
