TRIPURA ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
– 2003
A verdant valley,
Tripura with an area of 10,477 sq. km is situated on the last
edge of the North-Eastern Region. With a mountainous and uneven
land surface, its geographical limits touch both national and
international boundaries. Bangladesh surrounds it on three sides.
The only narrow strip of land that connects the State with the
country’s mainland is located in the northeastern side meeting
Assam and Mizoram.
The State is
bestowed with a bewildering variety of nature and humanity. This
land crisscrossed by plains, low laying hills and mounds is endowed
with enchanting landscapes of evergreen hills, charming valleys
and rivers flowing down from the hills along deep gorges and narrow
valleys. Not unlike the land, however, Tripura’s people are well-disciplined,
humane and hospitable. Religious people call Tripura a ‘Devasthal’
i.e. the Land of God while sociologists term it ‘a laboratory
of cultural synthesis’. Here the tribal and non-tribal populace
over the ages developed an exotic cultural synthesis by living
in complete harmony.
When election
rings the bell in Tripura, the environment takes a festive look.
During poll days people by and large queue up in front of the
polling booths. Election festivity gets typically manifested in
rural and interior pockets. The Scheduled Tribes comprising 31
per cent of the total population in the State reflect the most
unique style of community service as eligible inhabitants from
every hamlet come out en masse to cast their votes. One can see
them colourfully attired.
The Tripura State
Assembly’s term is slated to be over on March 22, 2003. Elections
for the 60-member Assembly were last held on February 16, 1998
when the CPI (M)-led Left Front won the poll winning 41 seats
leaving 18 to the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Tripura
Upajati Samiti (TUJS) combine and one for an Independent candidate.
The ruling Left Front’s strength went up to 42 following the result
of a bye-election in Banamalipur assembly constituency held in
2001. In the last Assembly election 80.84 per cent of the total
electorate cast its vote.
This time the
Election Commission has declared the 9th Tripura Assembly elections
to be held on February 26 and counting of votes will be held on
March 01, 2003. The Commission has published the revised electoral
rolls showing the total number of voters as 19,35,143. Compared
to the 1998 Assembly election the number of voters in Tripura
in 2003 has increased by 2,07,680. In 1998 the total number of
voters was 17,27,463.
This year electronic
voting machines (EVM) will be used for the first time in all polling
stations throughout the State. EVMs have been widely demonstrated
before the people living in rural and remote areas. Wide publicity
has been given through the media on the use of EVM. Posters and
leaflets in Bengali and Kokborok, the local tribal dialect, have
also been circulated in every nook and corner of the State. Similarly,
a Compact Disk (CD) has been designed in a demonstrative manner
for broadcast all over the State through private cable channels.
All India Radio, Agartala has also broadcast a talk on the use
of EVM. The Election Commission has provided 3,500 EVMs to the
State. Photo Identity Cards (PID) will be used in a larger part
of the State this time. About 85 per cent of the total voters
have so far been provided PID cards. The remaining voters will
exercise their franchise on the basis of documents like ration
cards.
The Election
Commission is engaging 22 observers to oversee the smooth conduct
of polling. Altogether 14,000 polling staff will be engaged.(PIB
Features)
Inputs from Subhasis
K. Chanda, AIO,PIB Agartala
