Agartala, March 20, 2024: In anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, approximately 17,000 resettled Bru voters from Mizoram are gearing up to exercise their voting rights in Tripura. This announcement came from Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Puneet Agarwal during a press briefing.

With the elections scheduled to take place on April 19 and 26, Tripura anticipates a significant turnout, boasting a registered voter count of around 28.58 lakhs. Among these voters are the Bru community members who were relocated to 10 different locations within Tripura under a quadruple agreement inked in 2020. These individuals, who had previously resided in six camps in North Tripura for over 22 years, were originally voters of Mizoram.

The Mizoram government declined to repatriate them, leading to an agreement with the Tripura government to extend humanitarian aid by providing resettlement within the state’s boundaries.

The ongoing resettlement process has seen over 12,000 Bru voters placed in the East Tripura parliamentary constituency, with the remaining allocated to West Tripura. Election authorities have set up 12 auxiliary polling stations to facilitate voting for these settlements.

In preparation for the elections, security measures have been intensified, with approximately 70 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) deployed across Tripura well in advance of the polling schedule announcement.

Moreover, efforts to enhance voter participation have been evident, with nearly 1,000 new voters added to the electoral rolls following a special summary revision. Additionally, over 69,782 first-time voters are expected to cast their ballots in this election.

CEO Puneet Agarwal emphasized the election infrastructure’s readiness, highlighting the expansion of polling stations to 3,350, including auxiliary stations. This increase is attributed to a rise in the elector population ratio to 675 and a favorable gender ratio of 991, reflecting the inclusive approach adopted in Tripura’s electoral processes.