Polling began amid tight security in 59 of the total 60 seats in Tripura on Sunday. Polling in the northeastern state has gained a lot of attention with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as the main challenger to the ruling Left Front, which has been in power in the state for the last 25 years.
The state has witnessed a high-voltage camping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing as many as four rallies in the state.
Though voting has remained brisk since morning, development is likely to be the deciding factor as voters choose representatives among the 307 candidates in the fray. According to ANI, several voters in Udaipur said on Sunday that they want a government which can provide them with economic development.
The Tripura BJP president Biplab Kumar Deb voted in Udiapur, while Chief Minister Manik Sarkar voted at a poll booth in Agartala. As of 12 am, the state recorded a voter turnout of 45 percent.
Meanwhile, Modi has urged youngsters in Tripura to come out in large numbers and vote after voting begins in 59 out of the 60 seats in the CPM-bastion. On the other hand, BJP chief Amit Shah tweeted, 'One vote will lay foundation of prosperous Tripura' and urged people to vote in large numbers.
Reports of EVM malfunction has come from various parts of the state. Voting is yet to begin in some of the polling stations in the state. Speaking to Firstpost, Sriram Taranikanti, the CEO of Tripura said, "There were technical glitches and we have had difficulty in about 3 percent of the total voting machines across the State. We have rectified the same and polling is going smooth."
BJP state in-charge of Tripura Sunil Deodhar says he's confident there won't be any instances of booth capturing and reposes faith in the central forces deployed across the state. However, BJP candidates have been complaining of state authorities and CPM cadres threatening voters.
Polling in Charilam Assembly constituency had to be deferred due to the death of a CPM candidate Ramendra Narayan Deb Barma, five days ago. Voting in Charilam Assembly constituency will be held on 12 March. Twenty seats have been reserved for the scheduled tribes.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) is confident of retaining power in its bastion of Tripura in Sunday's assembly elections and achieving a turnaround in the Left movement across the country, though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is battling tooth and nail to oust the Left Front government.
File image of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI and AP
Apart from Modi, several heavyweight leaders of the saffron party took part in the campaign including national president Amit Shah, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and Smriti Irani and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Sarkar, who is running for his fifth term as the chief minister, led the CPM's campaign addressing around 50 rallies in the state. Other Left leaders like Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat lent support to the party's campaign.
In India's 65-year-long electoral history, the country's dominant Left party, CPM, has never been in direct confrontation with the BJP. However, political developments in Tripura in 2016 and 2017 have set the stage for their first face-to-face battle as the saffron outfit has emerged as the key opposition party in this Communist-ruled northeastern state.
The Congress' campaign was somewhat subdued with party president Rahul Gandhi addressing a rally at Kailashahar in Unakoti district, about 180 kms from Agartala, on the last day of campaigning.
Altogether, 307 candidates are in the fray.
The CPM is contesting in 57 seats and while the other Left Front constituents, the RSP, Forward Bloc and CPI, in one seat each.
The BJP, which has forged an alliance with tribal outfit Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) has fielded 51 candidates. IPFT will contest in the remaining nine seats.
The Congress is going it alone in Tripura this time and will contest in 59 seats. The party has not fielded any candidate for Kakrabon constituency in Gomati district.
After Tripura become a full-fledged state in January 1972 along with Meghalaya and Manipur, the CPM dominated Left Front was in power since 1978 except for 11 years (1972-1977 and 1988-1993) when the Congress and the breakaway Congress led by five chief ministers ran the state.
There are 25,73,413 electorates, of whom 13,05,375 are males and 12,68,027 women while the number of third gender voters is 11. There are 47,803 new voters this time.
Voting will be held between 7 am and 4 pm on Sunday at 3,214 polling stations of which 47 would be managed by women, election office sources said.
Tripura chief electoral officer Sriram Taranikanti said the Election Commission has appointed police observers, general observers and expenditure observers to ensure free and fair polls.
He said that the Director General of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) RK Pachnanda has been appointed as a special observer to coordinate the security forces deployed in the state.
State Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said tight security measures are in place across Tripura for free and fair elections.
Three hundred companies of central armed forces have been deployed across the state along with state armed personnel and the police, he said, adding the BSF is keeping keep close vigil along the 856 km long Indo-Bangladesh border in the state.
Counting of votes will take place on 3 March, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Debashish Modok said.
With inputs from agencies
Published Date: Feb 18, 2018 15:06 PM | Updated Date: Feb 18, 2018 15:41 PM
Highlights
Voter turnout at 1 pm stands at 47 percent, reports Election Commission
In a series of tweets, CPM compares 'TripuraModel' with Modi's 'vikaas'
EVM snag leads to slow polling across state
An election department official said that snags in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) attached with VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) in over 150 polling stations, resulted in slow balloting across the state. "Around 35 to 40 per cent votes were cast so far and there are long queues in most of the polling stations both in plain and mountainous areas," the official told IANS.
Tripura created history in 2008, 2013 polls
In the 2013 and 2008 Assembly polls, Tripura scripted a record in the electoral history in India by casting 92 percent and 91 percent votes respectively, reports IANS.
ITBP jawans guarding polling centres in Gomati and South Tripura
Reang tribals who came to vote at Biswaram Chowdhury Para SB School in Raima Valley demand better drinking water, roads and electricity
Input from Sushanta Das/101Reporters
Traditional CPM voter says not many complaints against ruling party
35-year old Agartala-based voter and traditional CPM voter says there aren't too many complaints against the government as such but it will be difficult for CPM to stay in power for too much longer. Even if the BJP doesn't do as well as they hope in these polls, there are more polls coming up soon like Lok Sabha, panchayat, municipality. The opposition and people in general are frustrated with the long incumbency. It's only natural because it's not possible to keep everyone happy for so many years.
Input from Armstrong Chanambam, 101Reporters
Cases of EVMs, VVPATs malfunctioning in Tripura
According to NDTV, several EVMs and Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems have malfunctioned in some polling booths in Tripura.
RECAP: Congress does not make 'false promises' like BJP, urges people to vote for it, says Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi on Friday appealed to the people of Tripura to vote for the Congress to bring good governance, saying unlike the BJP, his party does not make false promises. Alleging that neither the CPM nor the BJP pay attention to development, he said the Congress is the only party which can deliver on its poll promises and will form government at the centre in 2019, reported PTI.
Confident of completing election process in stipulated period, says Tripura CEO
Voter turnout: 1 pm update
According to the state election department, the voter turnout till 1 pm is 45.86 percent.
BJP leader Ram Madhav urges Tripura voters to join 'Chalo Paltai' movement
Safety and unemployment need immediate attention, says BJP supporter
Moushmi Ghosh, 42-year-old BJP Mahila Morcha member from Sadar sub-division in West Tripura district, shares her expectations from next government. Safety and unemployment need immediate attention, she says.
Input from Armstrong Chanambam, 101Reporters
Hope voters will help defeat BJP, Congress with huge margins: Moboshar Ali, CPM candidate from Kailashahar
Speaking to firstpost, Moboshar Ali, CPM candidate from Kailashahar constituency, urged voters to maintain peace. "I appeal the voters to maintain peace and harmony and cast their vote so that the left can come to power once again. We hope the voters would defeat the candidates of Congress and BJP with huge margin and make the Left candidate the winner here," 53-year-old Ali said after casting his vote.
Input by Pintulal De, 101Reporters
Ruling government working closely with EC to ensue Left's victory, claims BJP leader
BJP candidate Nitish Dey told Firstpost, "Since 7 am, voters are waiting to cast their votes for a change and are waiting in queue in front of the polling centres. There are reports of a few anomalies in EVM machines and so few polling centres have started bit late in Kailashwar Constituency. This is the fault of the administration as they did not check the machines properly. I have also seen that some of the state employees are working closely with EC to favour the ruling party. We have taken up this matter with the administration. They are violating the code of conduct. I was canvassing till 4 pm on 16 Feb and I believe that BJP is going to win the seats."
Input by Pintulal De, 101Reporters
CPM cannot win by threatening voters; BJP will surely win polls, says BJP Tripura chief
Tripura BJP president Biplab Kumar Deb spoke to Firstpost at Banamalipur Assembly constituency
Input from Armstrong Chanambam, 101Reporters
BJP, CPM leaders claim EVM malfunctioning
BJP leader Sudip Roy Burman and ruling CPM leader Krishna Majumder, both candidates from the Agartala constituency, had earlier in the day claimed that voting in a few polling stations in the state capital were held up for more than 90 minutes because of EVM glitches. Additional CEO Tapas Roy refuted the claims and said all voting machines were working.
Congress candidates accuses poll officials of misbehaviour
“There has been disturbance (in poll booths). So we called up the DM and he sent some officers to the voting centre. Now it is going on peacefully. The officers at times misbehaves with the senior voters but for them only now it is systematic and peaceful,” Congress candidate Birajit Sinha said.
Input by Pintulal De, 101Reporters
RECAP: PM says 'Left believes in gun-tantra'
The prime minister invoked the recent deaths of BJP workers, claiming that the Left government was resorting to bloodshed, sensing that its end is near. Modi claimed that the murders of 10 BJP workers and a journalist was carried out by the ruling party's supporters ahead of the polls.
Speaking in Hindi, Modi used rhyming words to hit out at Manik Sarkar government and make his point: "Left parties do not believe in democracy (ganatantra) they believe in gun-tantra," Modi said. "They murdered our 10 BJP workers. They killed journalists," he alleged.
Read the full report here.
No reports of violence, says Tripura CEO
Taranikanti said that there were no incidents of violence reported anywhere in the state and the polling was peaceful.
Input by Prabhu Mallikarjunan, 101Reporters
180 engineers helping us resolve EVM malfunctioning, says Tripura CEO
Responding to queries on EVM malfunctioning at several places on the polling day, Sriram Taranikanti, Chief Electoral Officer of Tripura said, “There were technical glitches and we have had difficulty in about 3% of the total voting machines across the State. We have rectified the same and polling is going smooth. A team of about 180 engineers are helping us address such technical problems.”
Input from Prabhu Mallikarjun, 101 Reporters
BJP candidate accuses CPM cadres of threatening voters
Kalyani Roy, BJP candidate from Teliamura constituency in Khowai district, said CPM cadres were disrupting the poll process by provoking voters to vote for their candidate in her constituency. "There is 'cadre raj' going on here. They threatened me with life when I questioned them. I am filing an FIR at Teliamura police station right now," she said.
Picture credit: Facebook (Input from Suneet Shukla, 101 Reporters)
Voter turnout update
At 11 am, the turnout stands at 23.25 percent. However, officials are still counting the numbers. The final figure can go up to 25 percent.
Source: Election Commission
Earlier visuals of a polling booth in Agartala
20 % voting all across Tripura till 10 am
Input from Armstrong Chanambam, 101Reporters
Voting yet to begin in some places
Several stations in constituencies like Rajnagar, Amarpur, RK Pur, Matabari and Bagma haven't started polling due to "malfunctioning EVMs".
Input from Ayub Sarkar,101reporters
EVM malfunctioning reports from Tripura
15 EVMs have malfunctioned across the state so far. However, no major incident has been reported till now, reports CNN-News 18.
Heir apparent of Tripura royal family Pradyot Kishore Manikya talks about Congress, elections and BJP's prospects
In the backdrop of the hectic poll preparations, Pradyot Kishore Manikya, heir of the royal family in Tripura and the working president of the state Congress unit, spoke to Firstpost about elections, his relationship with the Congress leadership, and his vision for the state. The royal scion also cleared the air about his recent meetings with bigwigs from both BJP and the Congress, and explained why he is comfortable with the grand old party and does not see the BJP as a credible force in the state.
Read full inteview here.
CPM candidate alleges 'rough behaviour' from security staff
Bijoy Laxmi Singha, CPM candidate from Kamalpur in Dhalai district, said she faced "rough behavior from security staff" at her polling booth, when she went their to thank her supporters. She also said that booth no 54 and 55 in Kamalpur experienced EVM malfunctioning early in the day, but problems were soon resolved.
Input from Suneet Shukla/101Reporters
Polling yet to begin in several booths due to technical snag
Polling is yet to begin in several stations in constituencies like Bamutia, Kurti- Kadamtala and Bagbasa due to technical snags in EVMs. Chief Electoral Officer Taranikani said replacement of faulty machines are taking place.
Input from SS Ali, 101reporters
RECAP: BJP accuses CPM of spreading rumours about monitoring EVMs, submits memorandum before EC
The BJP on Thursday approached the Election Commission, alleging that the ruling CPM in Tripura is spreading rumours that their workers would be able to assess who voted for them in the state elections.
In a memorandum it submitted to the EC, the BJP stated that going by past several elections in the state, the CPM had indulged in "mass-scale rigging" and has "subverted with impunity the electoral processes by spreading rumours, intimidating voters and unleashing violence."
Here are the reserved seats for the ST/SC candidates
BJP leader and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma tweets
Your one vote will lay the foundation of a prosperous and developed Tripura, says Amit Shah
Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore urges people to vote in large numbers
Like Congress, Trinamool canvassed for votes towards the end
Trinamool Congress, which allied with two tribal-based parties — Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura and National Conference of Tripura — boosted its poll campaign by roping in senior leaders and film stars from West Bengal, reported IANS.
Sarkar's wife confident of CPM's victory
While Manik Sarkar did not interact with the media after casting his vote, his wife expressed confidence that the CPM will be winning the Tripura Assembly election, reported NDTV.
Tripura ranks high on social indicators
Read full report here.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar casts his vote at Umakanta English Medium School at Ramnagar at 9.40am
Input by Armstrong Chanambam/101Reporters
Reports of EVM malfunctioning from Tripura
All India Radio reported that EVM malfunction was reported from one of polling booths of Banamalipur constituency. One EVM was replaced in Badarghat constituency, the report added.
Manik Sarkar greets media after casting his vote in Agartala
Image courtesy: Twitter @airnewsalerts
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar casts his vote in Agartala
At 9.30am, polling percentage in Raima Valley (ST) Assembly Constituency is 11%
Input by Sushanta Das, 101 Reporters
Delay in getting poll percentages from tribal areas; voting brisk, says CEO Tripura
“People are enthusiastic about voting. The poll percentage count is delayed as we are still getting inputs from the remote tribal areas. That said, the polling has been peaceful so far,” Sriram Taranikanti, Chief Electoral Officer, Tripura said.
Update: 9 am voter turnout
ANI reports that 11 percent voters in Tripura have cast their vote till 9 am.
Congress has been an absent Opposition in Tripura
The Congress, which was in power for two complete terms in Tripura since it attained statehood in 1972 and remained the principal Opposition party until the last Assembly elections, is facing the upcoming polls merely to maintain its relevance in the state's politics. The Congress, its critics say, has been absent from active politics, owing to its many political compulsions. Moreover, the large scale exodus of leaders and workers from the party over past three years has left it in a deplorable state, reported PTI.
BJP's Tripura in-charge speaks to Firstpost
BJP state in-charge of Tripura Sunil Deodhar says he's confident there won't be any instances of booth capturing and reposes faith in the central forces deployed across the state.
Input by Armstrong Chanambam, 101 Reporters
Aerial shots from a polling booth in Agartala
RECAP: Congress promises loan waiver for farmers, employment to voters in state
The Congress on Monday promised development, employment and waiver of farmers' loans in Tripura if voted to power in the state. Releasing its election manifesto here for the Tripura Assembly elections, AICC general secretary and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanswamy brushed aside poll promises and claims made by the BJP and the Left, reported PTI.
Left's performance in Tripura
As with most long-serving governments, the Left government in Tripura has seen good days and bad. Thus, while it has been credited with reducing militancy and getting the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) withdrawn from the state by investing heavily in a local police force, it has lately come under attack over its stance on the partition of the state.
Read full report here.
RECAP: BJP releases manifesto, promises employment, SEZs in state
On 11 February, BJP leader and Union minister Arun Jaitley released the party's manifesto for Tripura Assembly election, which promised that SEZs would be set up in the state and smartphones would be given to the youth for free if the saffron party is elected to power in the state, reported PTI.
BJP Tripura president Biplab Kumar Deb cast his vote in Udaipur
Brisk voting in first hour, says Tripura SEC
Tripura's State Election Commission to take count on the polling percentage every two hours. Across Tripura polling has begun in a brisk pace in the first hour.
Ayub Sarkar, 101 Reporters
Voters queue to vote in Tripura
Input by Ayub Sarkar, 101 Reporters
Amit Shah confident of BJP forming next government in Tripura
On 12 February, BJP president Amit Shah asserted that the BJP would form the next government in Tripura which would be the 20th state to be ruled by the saffron party, PTI reported. Shah assured the voters that the promises made in the party's election manifesto released on Sunday would be implemented.
"Seeing the atmosphere and campaigns after visiting various constituencies, I am rest assured that the BJP would form the next government in Tripura and it would be the 20th BJP ruled state," Shah told a news conference in Agartala.
This is how Tripura voted in the past
Total number of voters
In all, 2,536,589 people, including 1,250,128 women and 47,803 first-time voters are eligible to elect 60 MLAs of the Tripura Assembly.
Last-minute campaigning by Congress leaders in Tripura
Hours before the end of campaign, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and other central leaders boosted the campaign of the Congress party, which has been hit by large numbers of top state party leaders, seven MLAs and huge number of workers joining the BJP since last year.
Number of candidates in fray
In all 292 candidates, including 23 women and many independents, would be testing their electoral fortunes in Sunday's election.
ITBP conducted a confidence building march in North Tripura
Watch: It is a direct fight between the BJP and the Left in Tripura
A faulty EVM was reported in one of the constituencies in Gomati district in Tripura
Input by Ayub Sarkar, 101 Reporter
BJP's Tripura in-charge Sunil Deodhar urges high turnout today
Tripura elections marred by blamegames, violence
With the Assembly elections in Tripura scheduled for 18 February), incidents of poll-related violence are being reported almost every day from across the Left Front-ruled state. Allegations and counter allegations fly thick and fast, with both national and regional parties laying the blame for their cadres’ deaths on the CPM-led Left Front government, while the latter ducks the charges.
Read this 16 February report here.
Tripura, bastion of CPM, is low on development but high on social and health indices
The green hill state’s development parameters are mixed. It has a literacy rate of 87.8 percent and is the fifth-most literate state in the country as per the 2011 Census. The state’s sex ratio, at 960 females per 1,000 males, is above the national average of 942. On multiple social and health indicators, Tripura competes with Goa, Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat – which rank first, eighth, 10th and 12th on per capita income (2014-15) – our analysis showed.
Read full report here.
Raima Valley votes
Voting begins in Raima Valley, a tribal belt in Tripura. The area has about 893 voters and all are of Chakma community.
Inputs by Sushanta Das, 101 Reporters
People wait in queue to vote in Maharani Tulsibati Higher Secondary school in Agartala
Input by Armstrong Chanambam, 101 Reporters
People voting at Maharani Teshhil in Dhalai, Tripura
Input by Ayub Sarkar, 101 Reporters
Voters in Tripura's Udaipur say they want a government which provides development
Tight security in place in Tripura ahead of polls
Tripura chief electoral officer Sriram Taranikanti said that Director General of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) RK Pachnanda has been appointed as a special observer to coordinate the security forces deployed in the state. State Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said tight security measures are in place across Tripura for free and fair elections. Three hundred companies of central armed forces have been deployed across the state along with state armed personnel and the police, he said, adding the BSF is keeping keep close vigil along the 856 kilometre long India-Bangladesh border in the state, PTI reported.
Visuals from a polling booth in Agartala
First direct confrontation between Left and BJP
The CPM is confident of retaining power in its bastion of Tripura in Sunday's Assembly elections and achieving a turnaround in the Left movement across the country, though the BJP is battling tooth and nail to oust the Left Front government. In India's 65-year-long electoral history, the country's dominant Left party, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), has never been in direct confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Polling begins on a brisk note at Ramnagar in Agartala
Image courtesy: SS Ali, 101 Reporters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges people to come out and vote
Election postponed in one constituency due to death of CPM candidate
A sitting CPM MLA and candidate in Charilam in western Tripura died on Sunday evening due to cardiac arrest, an official said. "The sitting MLA and Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate for Charilam (Scheduled Tribe) seat, Ramendra Narayan Debbarma, died at the Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital, where he was admitted in the afternoon with chest pain," an Election Department official said. The official said the election in Charilam would be countermanded as per electoral laws.
Congress' solo act
The Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party is fighting alone in this elections. The party is contesting 59 out of the 60 seats.
CPM fighting on 57 seats
The CPM is contesting in 57 seats and while the other Left Front constituents, the RSP, Forward Bloc and CPI, in one seat each in Tripura Assembly election in 2018.
Visuals of voting from Agartala
Preparations for the polls in Tripura
About 3214 polling stations have been setup for 25,69,216 voters across 60 constituencies. The Election Commission has also directed to set up one 'All- women managed polling stations’ for each Assembly Constituency where the entire polling staff, including the police and security personnel, shall be women.
Input from Team 101 Reporters
Voting begins in Tripura
15:41 (IST)
Voter turnout at 1 pm stands at 47 percent, reports Election Commission
15:38 (IST)
Another first-time voter says she doesn't want to change the government as it may lead to loss of peace in her village
Input from Ayub Sarkar/101Reporters
15:33 (IST)
Replacing or rectifying the EVM-VVPAT to resume voting in polling stations: Additional CEO Tapas Roy
"The Election Commission has deployed specially modified EVMs attached with VVPATs in all the 3,174 polling stations across the state. We are replacing or rectifying the EVM-VVPAT and voting resumed in those polling stations after that," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Tapas Roy told IANS. He added that voting was peaceful and incident free.
15:06 (IST)
In a series of tweets, CPM compares 'TripuraModel' with Modi's 'vikaas'
14:52 (IST)
EVM snag leads to slow polling across state
An election department official said that snags in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) attached with VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) in over 150 polling stations, resulted in slow balloting across the state. "Around 35 to 40 per cent votes were cast so far and there are long queues in most of the polling stations both in plain and mountainous areas," the official told IANS.
14:49 (IST)
Tripura created history in 2008, 2013 polls
In the 2013 and 2008 Assembly polls, Tripura scripted a record in the electoral history in India by casting 92 percent and 91 percent votes respectively, reports IANS.
14:46 (IST)
ITBP jawans guarding polling centres in Gomati and South Tripura
14:45 (IST)
Reang tribals who came to vote at Biswaram Chowdhury Para SB School in Raima Valley demand better drinking water, roads and electricity
Input from Sushanta Das/101Reporters
14:13 (IST)
Traditional CPM voter says not many complaints against ruling party
35-year old Agartala-based voter and traditional CPM voter says there aren't too many complaints against the government as such but it will be difficult for CPM to stay in power for too much longer. Even if the BJP doesn't do as well as they hope in these polls, there are more polls coming up soon like Lok Sabha, panchayat, municipality. The opposition and people in general are frustrated with the long incumbency. It's only natural because it's not possible to keep everyone happy for so many years.
Input from Armstrong Chanambam, 101Reporters
14:04 (IST)
Cases of EVMs, VVPATs malfunctioning in Tripura
According to NDTV, several EVMs and Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems have malfunctioned in some polling booths in Tripura.
14:01 (IST)
RECAP: Congress does not make 'false promises' like BJP, urges people to vote for it, says Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi on Friday appealed to the people of Tripura to vote for the Congress to bring good governance, saying unlike the BJP, his party does not make false promises. Alleging that neither the CPM nor the BJP pay attention to development, he said the Congress is the only party which can deliver on its poll promises and will form government at the centre in 2019, reported PTI.
13:54 (IST)
Confident of completing election process in stipulated period, says Tripura CEO
13:41 (IST)
Voter turnout: 1 pm update
According to the state election department, the voter turnout till 1 pm is 45.86 percent.
13:30 (IST)
BJP leader Ram Madhav urges Tripura voters to join 'Chalo Paltai' movement
13:25 (IST)
Safety and unemployment need immediate attention, says BJP supporter
Moushmi Ghosh, 42-year-old BJP Mahila Morcha member from Sadar sub-division in West Tripura district, shares her expectations from next government. Safety and unemployment need immediate attention, she says.
Input from Armstrong Chanambam, 101Reporters
13:24 (IST)
Voter turnout recorded at 27 percent till 12 PM
13:22 (IST)
Hope voters will help defeat BJP, Congress with huge margins: Moboshar Ali, CPM candidate from Kailashahar
Speaking to firstpost, Moboshar Ali, CPM candidate from Kailashahar constituency, urged voters to maintain peace. "I appeal the voters to maintain peace and harmony and cast their vote so that the left can come to power once again. We hope the voters would defeat the candidates of Congress and BJP with huge margin and make the Left candidate the winner here," 53-year-old Ali said after casting his vote.
Input by Pintulal De, 101Reporters
12:53 (IST)
Ruling government working closely with EC to ensue Left's victory, claims BJP leader
BJP candidate Nitish Dey told Firstpost, "Since 7 am, voters are waiting to cast their votes for a change and are waiting in queue in front of the polling centres. There are reports of a few anomalies in EVM machines and so few polling centres have started bit late in Kailashwar Constituency. This is the fault of the administration as they did not check the machines properly. I have also seen that some of the state employees are working closely with EC to favour the ruling party. We have taken up this matter with the administration. They are violating the code of conduct. I was canvassing till 4 pm on 16 Feb and I believe that BJP is going to win the seats."
Input by Pintulal De, 101Reporters
12:46 (IST)
CPM cannot win by threatening voters; BJP will surely win polls, says BJP Tripura chief
Tripura BJP president Biplab Kumar Deb spoke to Firstpost at Banamalipur Assembly constituency
Input from Armstrong Chanambam, 101Reporters
12:38 (IST)
BJP, CPM leaders claim EVM malfunctioning
BJP leader Sudip Roy Burman and ruling CPM leader Krishna Majumder, both candidates from the Agartala constituency, had earlier in the day claimed that voting in a few polling stations in the state capital were held up for more than 90 minutes because of EVM glitches. Additional CEO Tapas Roy refuted the claims and said all voting machines were working.
12:35 (IST)
Congress candidates accuses poll officials of misbehaviour
“There has been disturbance (in poll booths). So we called up the DM and he sent some officers to the voting centre. Now it is going on peacefully. The officers at times misbehaves with the senior voters but for them only now it is systematic and peaceful,” Congress candidate Birajit Sinha said.
Input by Pintulal De, 101Reporters
12:21 (IST)
RECAP: PM says 'Left believes in gun-tantra'
The prime minister invoked the recent deaths of BJP workers, claiming that the Left government was resorting to bloodshed, sensing that its end is near. Modi claimed that the murders of 10 BJP workers and a journalist was carried out by the ruling party's supporters ahead of the polls.
Speaking in Hindi, Modi used rhyming words to hit out at Manik Sarkar government and make his point: "Left parties do not believe in democracy (ganatantra) they believe in gun-tantra," Modi said. "They murdered our 10 BJP workers. They killed journalists," he alleged.
Read the full report here.
11:55 (IST)
No reports of violence, says Tripura CEO
Taranikanti said that there were no incidents of violence reported anywhere in the state and the polling was peaceful.
Input by Prabhu Mallikarjunan, 101Reporters
11:53 (IST)
180 engineers helping us resolve EVM malfunctioning, says Tripura CEO
Responding to queries on EVM malfunctioning at several places on the polling day, Sriram Taranikanti, Chief Electoral Officer of Tripura said, “There were technical glitches and we have had difficulty in about 3% of the total voting machines across the State. We have rectified the same and polling is going smooth. A team of about 180 engineers are helping us address such technical problems.”
Input from Prabhu Mallikarjun, 101 Reporters
11:48 (IST)
BJP candidate accuses CPM cadres of threatening voters
Kalyani Roy, BJP candidate from Teliamura constituency in Khowai district, said CPM cadres were disrupting the poll process by provoking voters to vote for their candidate in her constituency. "There is 'cadre raj' going on here. They threatened me with life when I questioned them. I am filing an FIR at Teliamura police station right now," she said.
Picture credit: Facebook (Input from Suneet Shukla, 101 Reporters)
11:37 (IST)
Voter turnout update
At 11 am, the turnout stands at 23.25 percent. However, officials are still counting the numbers. The final figure can go up to 25 percent.
Source: Election Commission
11:33 (IST)
Earlier visuals of a polling booth in Agartala
11:31 (IST)
20 % voting all across Tripura till 10 am
Input from Armstrong Chanambam, 101Reporters
11:19 (IST)
Voting yet to begin in some places
Several stations in constituencies like Rajnagar, Amarpur, RK Pur, Matabari and Bagma haven't started polling due to "malfunctioning EVMs".
Input from Ayub Sarkar,101reporters
11:17 (IST)
EVM malfunctioning reports from Tripura
15 EVMs have malfunctioned across the state so far. However, no major incident has been reported till now, reports CNN-News 18.
11:13 (IST)
Heir apparent of Tripura royal family Pradyot Kishore Manikya talks about Congress, elections and BJP's prospects
In the backdrop of the hectic poll preparations, Pradyot Kishore Manikya, heir of the royal family in Tripura and the working president of the state Congress unit, spoke to Firstpost about elections, his relationship with the Congress leadership, and his vision for the state. The royal scion also cleared the air about his recent meetings with bigwigs from both BJP and the Congress, and explained why he is comfortable with the grand old party and does not see the BJP as a credible force in the state.
Read full inteview here.
11:07 (IST)
CPM candidate alleges 'rough behaviour' from security staff
Bijoy Laxmi Singha, CPM candidate from Kamalpur in Dhalai district, said she faced "rough behavior from security staff" at her polling booth, when she went their to thank her supporters. She also said that booth no 54 and 55 in Kamalpur experienced EVM malfunctioning early in the day, but problems were soon resolved.
Input from Suneet Shukla/101Reporters
11:04 (IST)
Polling yet to begin in several booths due to technical snag
Polling is yet to begin in several stations in constituencies like Bamutia, Kurti- Kadamtala and Bagbasa due to technical snags in EVMs. Chief Electoral Officer Taranikani said replacement of faulty machines are taking place.
Input from SS Ali, 101reporters
11:01 (IST)
RECAP: BJP accuses CPM of spreading rumours about monitoring EVMs, submits memorandum before EC
The BJP on Thursday approached the Election Commission, alleging that the ruling CPM in Tripura is spreading rumours that their workers would be able to assess who voted for them in the state elections.
In a memorandum it submitted to the EC, the BJP stated that going by past several elections in the state, the CPM had indulged in "mass-scale rigging" and has "subverted with impunity the electoral processes by spreading rumours, intimidating voters and unleashing violence."
10:48 (IST)
Here are the reserved seats for the ST/SC candidates
10:47 (IST)
BJP leader and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma tweets
10:36 (IST)
Your one vote will lay the foundation of a prosperous and developed Tripura, says Amit Shah
10:33 (IST)
Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore urges people to vote in large numbers
10:31 (IST)
Like Congress, Trinamool canvassed for votes towards the end
Trinamool Congress, which allied with two tribal-based parties — Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura and National Conference of Tripura — boosted its poll campaign by roping in senior leaders and film stars from West Bengal, reported IANS.
10:23 (IST)
Sarkar's wife confident of CPM's victory
While Manik Sarkar did not interact with the media after casting his vote, his wife expressed confidence that the CPM will be winning the Tripura Assembly election, reported NDTV.
10:21 (IST)
Tripura ranks high on social indicators
Read full report here.
10:14 (IST)
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar casts his vote at Umakanta English Medium School at Ramnagar at 9.40am
Input by Armstrong Chanambam/101Reporters
10:08 (IST)
Reports of EVM malfunctioning from Tripura
All India Radio reported that EVM malfunction was reported from one of polling booths of Banamalipur constituency. One EVM was replaced in Badarghat constituency, the report added.
10:06 (IST)
Manik Sarkar greets media after casting his vote in Agartala
Image courtesy: Twitter @airnewsalerts
09:54 (IST)
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar casts his vote in Agartala
09:53 (IST)
At 9.30am, polling percentage in Raima Valley (ST) Assembly Constituency is 11%
Input by Sushanta Das, 101 Reporters
09:51 (IST)
Delay in getting poll percentages from tribal areas; voting brisk, says CEO Tripura
“People are enthusiastic about voting. The poll percentage count is delayed as we are still getting inputs from the remote tribal areas. That said, the polling has been peaceful so far,” Sriram Taranikanti, Chief Electoral Officer, Tripura said.
09:40 (IST)
Update: 9 am voter turnout
ANI reports that 11 percent voters in Tripura have cast their vote till 9 am.
09:38 (IST)
Congress has been an absent Opposition in Tripura
The Congress, which was in power for two complete terms in Tripura since it attained statehood in 1972 and remained the principal Opposition party until the last Assembly elections, is facing the upcoming polls merely to maintain its relevance in the state's politics. The Congress, its critics say, has been absent from active politics, owing to its many political compulsions. Moreover, the large scale exodus of leaders and workers from the party over past three years has left it in a deplorable state, reported PTI.
09:32 (IST)
BJP's Tripura in-charge speaks to Firstpost
BJP state in-charge of Tripura Sunil Deodhar says he's confident there won't be any instances of booth capturing and reposes faith in the central forces deployed across the state.
Input by Armstrong Chanambam, 101 Reporters