Agartala, Feb 15: All preparations for conducting free, fair, and peaceful elections to the 60-member Tripura Assembly on Thursday have been completed.
The voting will be held under tight security between 7 am and 4 pm at 3,337 polling stations, out of which 1,100 have been classified as sensitive and 28 as critical.
The main contestants of the elections are the BJP-IPFT combine, CPI(M)-Congress alliance, and the Tipra Motha, a regional party formed by the scion of the northeastern state’s former royal family.
As part of the precautionary measures, prohibitory order has already been imposed across the state and it will remain in force till 6 am on February 17.
The international and inter-state boundaries have also been sealed to prevent trouble mongers from entering the state.
Altogether 28.13 lakh voters including 13.53 lakh women will decide the fate of 259 aspirants of whom 20 are women.
Also Read: India become the world no.1 team in all formats of international cricket
Chief Minister Manik Saha is the BJP nominee from the Town Bardowali constituency, while Union minister Pratima Bhowmik is contesting from Dhanpur on the saffron party’s ticket. CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chadudhury who is the face of the Left-Congress combine, is fighting for the Sabroom Assembly seat.
Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Debbarma is not in the fray.
The BJP is contesting in 55 seats, its ally IPFT has fielded candidates in six constituencies, while there will be a friendly fight in one seat.
The CPI(M) is contesting 47 seats while its alliance partner Congress is fighting in 13 constituencies. The Tipra Motha has candidates in 42 seats.
The Trinamool Congress has fielded nominees in 28 constituencies while there are 58 independent aspirants.
The ruling BJP has fielded the highest number of women candidates with 12.
During the campaigning, the BJP highlighted the development that has taken place in the northeastern state in the last five years, the Left Front and the Congress stressed on “misrule and misgovernance” of the BJP-IPFT government.
The poll plank of Tipra Motha is Greater Tipraland statehood demand.
