Tripura Panchayat polls record 79 per cent voter turnout till 4 PM amid sporadic incidents

The three-tier Panchayat election in Tripura, which started at 7 AM this morning, has recorded over 79.06 per cent voter turnout till 4 PM amidst complaints of sporadic incidents.

Speaking with India Today NE, an official from the Tripura State Election Commission stated that in Tripura’s three-tier Panchayat system, there are a total of 6,909 seats, including Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and Zila Parishads. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has already won 4,805 seats uncontested.

In Tripura, there are 6,370 seats in Gram Panchayats, 423 seats in Panchayat Samitis, and 116 seats under Zila Parishads. The total number of voters is 12,94,153, including 6,58,445 males, 6,35,597 females, and 11 others. The total number of polling stations is 2,650.

“The election started at 7 AM, and as scheduled, it concluded at 4 PM. By 4 PM, the voter turnout was 79.06%. However, in some places, the voting process is still ongoing and it started a bit late due to some issues. The election has taken place in 2,102 seats. By 10 AM, we recorded a 24.97% voter turnout; by 12 PM, it was 44.01%, and by 2 PM, it was 61.83%. We are still compiling the remaining data,” said the official.

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He mentioned that the commission received around 6 complaints of sporadic incidents in some areas, which were resolved immediately by the security and Returning Officers.
 
“The administration has taken strict security measures to ensure a peaceful voting process. I’ve instructed all personnel to contact me immediately if any problems arise. Over 10,000 state security forces, including the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and 30 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), have been deployed to conduct the Panchayat polls peacefully,” he added.

Regarding the poll, Assistant Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Ananta Das told this publication that the election was held in a largely peaceful manner.

“Some small sporadic incidents have taken place, like preventing voters and issuing threats. However, as soon as we received complaints, we sent additional forces and resolved the issues. No major incidents have occurred,” he added.