The Election Commission of India (ECI) has started preparations for holding the Assembly elections in three northeastern states – Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya; slated to be held in February 2023, following the Assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

An election official in Agartala claimed that the ECI has transported approximately 5,000 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), manufactured by the Hyderabad-based Electronic Corporation of India Limited, through 15 big contenarised trucks.

“We have stored these EVMs under proper security measures, in presence of the representatives of the political parties. Soon, all the sub-divisions would receive these EVMs,” stated the official.

The official added that all 8 District Magistrates (DMs) and Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) have received training from the National level Master Trainers (NLMT) assigned by the ECI last week; in order to address every significant subjects, necessary for the smooth management of the election.

In Nagaland, resource persons from the ECI and the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, recently hosted a two-days training programme for the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and District Election Officers to equip the district level officials with knowledge and skill for the elections.

Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Nagaland – V. Shashank Shekhar stressed on the crucial role played by the district electoral machinery, headed by the DCs and District Election Officers in the overall conduct and management of the electoral process.

Meghalaya will also hold training sessions for district-level officials, emphasizing on how to conduct the assembly polls.