Tripura, Feb 22 : Central paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength at various places in Tripura ahead of Saturday’s polls.

The Union Government has deployed 20,000 paramilitary personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to keep a check on insurgency and security in violence-prone areas of the State.

A record number of 60,000 security personnel have been deployed along with air surveillance in order to ensure free and fair polls.

"This time in every polling station there will be paramilitary personnel. If there will be no paramilitary personal then elections will not be considered at all. So we have taken measures that each and every polling station will have CPMF (Central paramilitary force) personnel, at least two CPMF personnel in one centre," said Seikh Arif Hussain, Assistant Superintendent of Police.

The Election Commission has deployed 750 micro observers to assist 60 general observers to oversee the election process.

Across the State, 2,391 polling stations have been set up across the State out of which 108 polling stations have been categorised as very vulnerable to possible violence and 550 polling stations as vulnerable in view of militancy and other security related problems.

"As per the militancy there is no problem for us because my troops are quite experienced in this matter. As concerned to the forces if you are asking about the number of troops deployed, there are 2 battalions of ITBP (Indo-Tibetian Border Police) including 10 companies deployed and Agartala town is almost given to us," said A. P. S Nimbaria, Commandant, ITBP.

Moreover, aerial surveillances would be ensured by senior police officers covering all remote places considered being vulnerable from the militancy point of view.

The month-long hectic election campaign by various political parties ended on February 21 evening.

The ruling Communist alliance is pitted against the main opposition Congress party.

Over two million people, about half of them women, are eligible to decide the fate of 313 candidates for the 60 seat State Assembly. Of the 313 aspirants, 31 are women and 64 are independents. (ANI)