6 Types Of Election Observers Appointed For 3 Northeast States

The Election Commission has appointed six types of observers in three election-bound states - Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland - to monitor the poll process and related aspects closely.

Election officials said on Friday that to conduct the polls "freely, fairly, fearlessly and with inducement", six types of observers have been appointed from among the in-service and retired IAS, IPS, IRS and central government officials.

The observers include general observers, police observers, expenditure observers, micro observers in each polling station, special observers for special circumstances and counting observers.

The Election Commission on Friday appointed three special observers and asked them to go to Tripura immediately to take stock of the situation, ensure proper deployment of the Central Armed Police Force, intensify enforcement measures and report to the commission.

The three special observers are Yogendra Tripathy, retired IAS officer of Karnataka cadre; Vivek Johri, former Director General of Police of Madhya Pradesh, and B Murali Kumar, IRS officer, who was the special observer in the Gujarat assembly election last year and the West Bengal election in 2021.

The Election Commission will formally issue a notification on Saturday for the February 16 polling in Tripura and the filling of nomination papers would start immediately.

The last date of nomination in Tripura is January 30. The papers will be checked the next day. The last date for withdrawing nominations is February 2.

Elections to the 60-member assemblies in Meghalaya and Nagaland will be held on February 27. Votes will be counted in all the three states on March 2.