Polling in Tripura East deferred to April 23 due to law and order problem

Tripura: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday announced that polling in East Tripura constituency has been deferred from April 18 to April 23 (third phase) due to adverse report on law and order situation. 

Citing reports of state chief electoral officer and special police observer, the poll panel said, "The law and order situation prevailing is not conducive to the holding of free and fair poll."

The returning officer had feared that "miscreant elements" may thwart the polling process in the constituency. Based on the ground and intelligence reports, he had requested for additional central police force.

Polling will now be held on April 23 by which time the law and order situation in the constituency would improve and become "conducive to the holding of free and fair election", the EC said. 

The poll body, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, had reviewed preparations in specific constituencies of West Bengal and Tripura on Monday. 

Tripura has only two Lok Sabha constituencies for which 23 candidates are in the fray. 

Election in Tripura West was held in the first phase of polling on April 11. 

Meanwhile, election in Tamil Nadu's Vellore was cancelled by President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday after accepting a recommendation by the EC in the wake of seizures of large amounts of unaccounted cash from the state. 

"Accepting the recommendation of Election Commission of India dated April 14 2019, the honourable President is pleased to rescind election to Vellore parliamentary constituency, Tamil Nadu to elect a member to Lok Sabha," the EC in a statement today.