The Election Commission on Saturday asked the Tripura police to enhance the security of the candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state.
According to reports, the state administration has been directed to increase the number of escort personnel of the candidates, enhance the security patrolling on the roads when the candidates are on the move and ensure at least two–tier security coverage in their public meetings.
This step to increase the security came after CPI(M) and Congress leaders made complaints to the Election Commission that their party members and workers are facing trouble whenever they are out in the roads on any kind of work for the elections.
The Congress had recently accused the ruling BJP of attacking its Lok Sabha candidate from West Tripura constituency, Subal Bhowmik, when he was on his way to Agartala from Sipahijala.
Bhowmik claimed that a group of more than 50 activists of the BJP had tried to attack him and damage his car after he left a meeting at Indiranagar in Siphajila district of the state.
He also claimed that the police came to his rescue after he was tried to attack by the activists of the saffron party.
Tripura police had also recently arrested a 36-year-old man on charges of attacking Tripura West MP Shankar Prasad Datta’s convoy when he was returning from a campaign programme.
The accused person named Prahlad Debnath along with two other persons pelted stones, causing minor damage to Datta’s convoy.