The State Chief Secretary forwarded the demand to ECI after it asked the north-eastern States to form a coordinated force sharing system as the Centre has not been in a position to provide additional forces for they were appointed at strategic places following the recent terror attacks in major cities, sources said Monday.
Sources further said that about 35,000 armed security men including Central forces, BSF, CRPF and Assam Rifles, etc., are present in Tripura now engaged in routine duties. But to conduct elections more forces will be needed.
In the last Parliamentary elections in 2004, some 70 companies of Central forces were posted and 110 companies were deployed in the last Assembly elections here in 2008.
The Chief Secretary was of the view that though militancy had been scaled down in the last few years it would not be wise to take any risk. Besides, there will be more number of polling booths than the previous occasions in two Parliamentary constituencies in the State, according to sources.
It has been learnt that this time there will be 3,008 polling booths against the previous 750 booths in the State.