Agartala, April 3 — Postal ballot voting for government employees, including security personnel deployed on election duty, began on Friday for the upcoming by-election to the 56 Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in North Tripura district.
The voting process is being conducted at the Bir Bikram Institution and will continue until April 4. Election officials confirmed that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth and secure voting experience for all eligible personnel.
According to officials present at the polling centre, the process has remained peaceful and orderly since it commenced earlier in the day. Voters arriving to cast their ballots expressed satisfaction with the arrangements, noting that the process was being conducted efficiently and without disruption.
Postal ballots are being facilitated to enable government staff and security forces, who will be engaged in election duties on polling day, to exercise their franchise in advance. Authorities have emphasised the importance of ensuring that all eligible voters in this category are able to participate without hindrance.
The by-election to the Dharmanagar Assembly seat is scheduled to be held on April 9. The election was necessitated following the demise of sitting BJP MLA Biswabandhu Sen in December last year. At the time of his passing, Sen was serving as the Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly.
The upcoming contest is expected to witness a triangular fight, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) facing challenges from both the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Indian National Congress, each of which has fielded its own candidate for the seat.
Security has been heightened across the constituency to ensure a free and fair electoral process. Authorities have deployed adequate personnel and put in place necessary monitoring mechanisms to prevent any untoward incidents.
With the postal ballot process underway and preparations in full swing, election officials remain confident of conducting the by-election in a peaceful and transparent manner.
