Polling in Tripura started at 7 a.m. Over 25 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.
The election is taking place in 59 constituencies after the poll was countermanded at Charilam (ST) constituency due to the death of CPI(M) candidate.
Situation in the morning was peaceful after sporadic incidents of violence were reported on Saturday night.
A total of 292 candidates are in the fray in 59 Assembly segments.
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Election has been "peaceful" barring a few minor incidents. About 78.56 per cent voters turn out been recorded till now said Tripura CEO Sriram Taranikanti. There have been 191 EVMs replacement during the day. Due to the snags in EVMs polling has been delayed.
"Voting continues at 20 polling stations and will continue till last voter casts vote," he added.
Rahul Karmakar reports: 2003 election percentage was 78.71. The 2008 polling figure was 91.22% and in 2013 it was 91.82%.
76% voter turnout until 5 p.m.
There has been a 2% rise in turnout with about 76% voting till 5:00 p.m. Tapas Ray, Tripura additional CEO said that there "should be an increase in percentage" after final figure is added. Numbers are expected to be added by 9:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, Pulin Bardhan, Chief Election Agent of CPI(M) candidate Keshab Debbarma in 17- Golaghati constituency under Sepahijala district is critically wounded in an alleged attack by IPFT supporters. He is admitted at G.B.P. Hospital in Agartala.
Central paramilitary force resorted to baton charge to disperse clashing supporters of CPI(M) and BJP at Kadamtala in North Tripura District. Two people injured.
Harekrishna Bhowmik, Chief Spokesperson of Tripura Pradesh Congress, demanded high level probe into ‘252 incidents of EVM malfunctioning’ during the day.
74% voter turnout until 4 p.m.
About 74% of Tripura's electorate had cast their vote until 4 p.m. in the State Assembly election, which began at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Election Commission officials said, adding that it was likely to go up as there were people still waiting in queues to exercise their franchise.
No incidents of violence were reported from anywhere in the State, officials noted.
About 4% of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines were found to have developed glitches in the first few hours, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Tapas Roy had said earlier in the day.
According to election official sources, the voter turnout recorded till 1 p.m. was 45.9%.
State Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said security measures were put in place across Tripura for the Assembly election.
The BSF was asked to keep a close vigil on the 856-km-long India-Bangladesh border in Tripura and 300 companies of the Central armed forces, along with the State armed personnel and police, were deployed across the State to ensure a free-and-fair election, he added.
According to election official sources, the voter turnout recorded till 11 a.m. was 23.25%.
A son carries his father to the voting booth, in Agartala on Sunday.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar casts his vote at Umakanta English Medium School at Agartala at 9.40 a.m.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sakar arrives to cast his vote at a polling station in Agartala on Sunday.
State Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said security measures are in place across Tripura to ensure free and fair polls. He said 300 companies of central armed forces have been deployed along with state armed personnel and police, while BSF is keeping keep a close vigil along the 856-km-long India-Bangladesh border in Tripura, he added.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar casts his vote in Agartala on Sunday.
Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti said the Election Commission has appointed police observers, general observers and expenditure observers to ensure hassle-free polls.
The director general of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), R K Pachnanda, has been appointed as a special observer to coordinate with the security forces deployed in the state.
Counting of votes would be taken up on March 3 and the voting for Charilam constituency will be conducted on March 12, sources in the election office said
Voters were seen queuing up at polling stations across the state since morning. In hilly and tribal areas, women huddled in large numbers outside poll booths in their colourful traditional attires. Small-time shop keepers were seen doing brisk business selling tea and snacks to the voters.
Voting will end at 4 pm in all the 3,214 polling stations in the state, election office sources said.
An official on election duty carries an EVM on the eve of the Tripura elections, in Agartala on Saturday.
In all, 2,536,589 people, including 1,250,128 women and 47,803 first-time voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 292 candidates, including 23 women and many independents.
“Apprehending troubles by some tribal outfit, a record 50,000 para-military and other state security personnel have been deployed while two air surveillance team led by senior officials are conducting surveillance by helicopters,” the election official.
Political experts say the campaign for Mandate 2018 has been the most intense since 1988 when the Congress, in alliance with a tribal party, wrested power from the Left Front. But the Communists were back in 1993 and ruled for five successive terms riding on Chief Minister Manik Sarkar’s image of one of India’s cleanest politicians.
The BJP has been focussed on Tripura since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls when it bagged only 5.7% of the votes. In the 2013 Assembly elections, the party’s vote share was only 1.5% compared to the 48.11% the CPI(M) and its communist allies had polled. The Congress polled 36.53% votes in 2013.
