By-election to two Assembly constituencies in Tripura was held peacefully on Saturday. However, polling was low due to rain in comparison to the 2013 Assembly elections in the state that saw 93 per cent turnout.
Polling in Pratapgarh in Agartala and Surma in north Tripura was peaceful without any untoward incident. However main opposition Congress that demanded re-polling in several polling stations in both segments alleged that the ruling CPI(M) cadres in connivance with government officials indulged in terror and malpractice.
“The CPI(M) cadres had threatened and intimidated our voters. In one of booths in Pratapgarh, push button of the EVM did not work in favour of our candidate, but election officials did not take corrective measure,” PCC working president Asish Kumar Saha told newsmen.
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The BJP also alleged that voters were prevented from voting. State party’s president Sudhindra Dasgupta said his party supporters could not cast vote in five polling stations.
Massive turnout in Meghalaya by-poll
Balloting in the Assembly by-election in Meghalaya’s Chokpot constituency passed off peacefully on Saturday, with 75 per cent of the total 24,244 electorate casting their votes, an election official said.
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“The latest voter turnout recorded till 5 p.m. was 75 per cent. We are expecting the turnout to cross 80 per cent,” Chief Electoral Officer Prashant Naik told IANS over phone.
The by-election was necessitated following the death of Garo National Council legislator Clifford R. Marak early this year. Polling started at 8 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. No untoward incident was reported despite apprehensions of violence in the constituency, the official said.