Approximately 2,500 voters crossed the barbed wire fencing along the India-Bangladesh border to participate in the electoral process in Tripura on April 19.
Despite facing challenges due to historical reasons, these voters were determined not to miss out on the opportunity to vote in what they consider the largest democratic exercise.
Having reached the legal voting age, these voters are now registered on Tripura's electoral rolls. Border gates were opened early in the morning to facilitate their participation, with authorities providing necessary cooperation for a smooth voting process.
Hafizur Rahman, an Indian citizen residing on the Bangladesh side of the border, shared his experience with ANI. He mentioned that all 50 eligible voters from his village were enthusiastic about casting their votes. Rahman stated, "There are 19 families consisting of 50 voters. Most of them have cast their votes in the morning and the remaining voters will soon come to cast their votes."
The voting coincided with "Jumma," a religious day, which meant some individuals were engaged in religious activities. Rahman assured that everyone would still find time to vote, emphasizing that the border gates remain open during polling hours.
At the border gates, security personnel verified the photo identification cards of villagers crossing the fence, with female Border Security Force (BSF) personnel performing duties in the Jayanagar area near Agartala city.
Ful Banu Begam, another resident from a village falling under the Ramnagar assembly constituency, reported that families in her village had been actively participating in the election. She mentioned, "Everything is going on peacefully. We live ahead of the fence. This 80C gate behind me helps us cross the borders."
The Returning Officer for the West Tripura Parliamentary seat, Dr. Vishal Kumar, provided details on the voter turnout. He said, "The voting turnout is satisfactory and if the trends keep rising at the same pace, the total voting turnout will certainly cross the 80 percent mark." He reported that about 34% of voters had cast their ballots, with the administration and police maintaining strict vigilance to ensure voter safety, reported ANI.
Given the area's history of election-related violence, especially in border-aligned regions like Ramnagar, security measures were intensified. Dr. Kumar affirmed, "Teams of administration and police have been making rounds to keep a strict vigil. The voting process is underway smoothly, and no untoward incident has occurred so far."
Discussing the population living in areas ahead of the fencing, Dr. Kumar added, "More than 2,500 voters are residing between the zero line and fencing. Most of them are living in Boxanagar with a population of around 1,600. We hope for a high voter turnout as observed last year when over 90% of them cast their votes."