Political representatives of different parties attended a meeting with the visiting Election Commission of India team in Agartala on Wednesday. State secretary of CPIM Jitendra Choudhury represented the party in the meeting with the ECI today. Later, the party released a press statement mentioning the appeals the CPIM made to the ECI team in the meeting.

The full Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, accompanied by two Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, and several senior officials, arrived here on Wednesday afternoon to review the preparations of the forthcoming assembly polls in Tripura.

The CPIM urged the ECI to hold the poll in a single day.  The officers who were removed from election duty for any lapses in the earlier election should not be appointed in any election duty again. Central para-military forces should be used in the entire election process up to the Counting and post-election period.

Deployment of CPMF may be made well in advance before the poll date. They should conduct patrolling for area domination. The strength of deployment should be decided on the basis of vulnerability of the area.

One Police observer for each District may be appointed from among the senior police officers who will be assigned deployment of the CPMF in the concerned District.

Besides, the party also drew the attention of the ECI on other matters:

CAMPAIGN

All the Advertisements, both print and electronic media, must have marking of MCMC approval so that unapproved items or edited items after certification  may not be published. Any Advertisements of any party approved by the MCMC must be apprised to all the political parties before publication.

No Advertisements should be published 48 hours before the commencement of the poll.

All the candidates and Election Agents must be provided with adequate security coverage.

Preventing Bribery: Instead of bribing voters in a conventional way, now a days bribing is taking place by online method. The party having abundant cash, collect bank Account numbers of the targeted electors and transfer money online. ECI should explore an effective method to stop this.

The borders must be completely sealed in the entire election period. 

A single window system must be set up to accord permission to the contesting parties for holding rallies, processions, demonstration etc. on first come first serve basis.

Bike-ridden organized gangs of the ruling parties are a big concern for free and fair elections. Their movements in groups must be stopped during entire campaign period.

All outsiders of concerned Assembly constituencies or even from other states must be flushed out of the government Bungalows, private hotels and guest houses immediately after the end of the campaign.   

POLLING  DAY

Good number of Micro Observers are found to be inadequate knowledge about election conduct rules. Before poll, they must be imparted training and thoroughly apprised of the election rules.

All the lanes and paths heading towards the Polling Booth must be under security cover so that no elector could be prevented from reaching polling station.

Before giving entrance to the premises of polling station, an officer may be deputed to check up identity of voters with the appearance of the elector with image of the EPIC.

Inside and outside of all the polling booths must be covered with webcasting.  Vigilance should be there to oversee against disruption of operation of the webcasting cameras. 

A strict watch should be kept so that no unauthorized person particularly the ruling party individual should have access to the operation of webcasting videography of the polling station. 

The polling agents of the opposition party candidates must be provided security for attending the booth, staying inside the booth and during his return after the end of poll.

The entrance of the polling booths must be manned by CPMF jawans. They should allow entrance of any elector only after matching his appearance with that of the EPIC.

No crowding should be allowed in front of the polling booths. 

In the polling booths, queues must be maintained only by the CPMF. To prevent booth jamming, no individual voter should be allowed to interfere with the voters queue.

COUNTING

Three-lair security must be set up to guard the Strong room where EVMs are stored. Political party representatives should be allowed to keep watch over the strong rooms round the clock.

All the Counting halls should be under the scanner of the web Camera.

 Any elector having EPIC of the state should be allowed to be appointed as a Counting Agent in any of the counting halls.

They should be issued separate identity Cards by the ROs.