CEO meets political parties ahead of ECI visit; 50 CAPF companies allocated for Nagaland

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nagaland, V Shashank Shekhar, on Monday met with the representatives from various political parties ahead of the ECI visit to Nagaland for the ensuing assembly election.
According to a DIPR report, the CEO Nagaland informed that the commission would be visiting the State from January 13-15, 2023 and meet all the recognized political parties. He said the commission would also be interacting with the senior officers of the state government including chief secretary, DGP. CEI would also review the poll preparedness with all deputy commissioners, superintendents of police, enforcement agencies both State and Central.
CEO informed that the state level training and many preparations had been going on for the last couple of months. He said the commission has deployed 50 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in advance and some more would be arriving.
Highly placed sources informed Nagaland Post that the State government had sought for 30 companies of Central armed forces. However, 50 companies (over 6000) CAPF have been deployed for election duty.
Meanwhile, CEO has urged all the political parties and stakeholders to be more cautious of information “we are passing on especially closer to election where sometimes wrong information and rumours were circulated.” Shekhar also expressed hope that citizens would provide all information to the various government, central and state including enforcement agencies to ensure a free and fair poll.
Stating that election must be conducted like a festive atmosphere, the CEO appealed to everyone to come together for free and fair election with no violence and no re-poll.
CAPF begin to arrive
IANS: Weeks before the announcement of the Assembly election schedule by the Election Commission, Central armed police forces (CAPF) have started arriving in three poll-bound states of Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, officials said on Monday.
Meghalaya’s Chief Electoral Officer Frederick R Kharkongor said in Shillong that the state has sought deployment of 119 companies of CAPF for the polls, and 30 companies have already arrived in the state. “There are 782 vulnerable polling stations and 402 have been identified as critical,” he said.
In Agartala, Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao said that 50 companies of CAPF already arrived in Tripura and more 50 companies about to reach in the state.
“The flag/road marches by the CAPF shall start in advance to ensure confidence building among the political workers for campaigning and among the citizens to cast their votes freely without any fear. The security forces shall be deployed well before the poll process so that they get familiar with the locality. Local police should extend necessary cooperation to the CAPF,” an election Commission statement said.
It said that the state police shall ensure all miscreants, trouble mongers, history sheeters are either kept in constant watch or bound under relevant sections of the CrPC.