MANDAI BAZAAR, April 21: India sealed its eastern frontier with Bangladesh on Wednesday as the strife-torn border state of Tripura prepared for the second phase of voting. Thousands of police and paramilitary troops were deployed and air surveillance ordered in Tripura, which votes on Thursday.

India says tribal insurgents fighting New Delhi's rule and who have vowed to disrupt the election are based in camps in Bangladesh. Dhaka denies the charge. "The threat from insurgents to the election remains," said state police chief Gyanshyam Murari Srivastava.

"We are adding dozens more security posts near the border as a second line of defence." But in Tripura, communists are expected to regain the state's two seats up for grabs. Counting is set for May 13 and results expected the same day. -Reuters