Tripura Elections: Tripura is conducting its three-cornered fight in the election polls today i.e. on Thursday, with the CPI(M)-Congress combine and the Tipra Motha challenging the incumbent’s BJP’s bid to retain power.

Voting for the 60 Assembly seats of Tripura has already begun. The fate of 259 candidates hangs in the balance. The counting of votes will take place on March 2.

PM Modi takes Twitter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the people of Tripura to vote in record numbers.

In a tweet, PM Modi wrote, “Urging the people of Tripura to vote in record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I specially call upon the youth to exercise their franchise.”

Security arrangement tightened ahead of Tripura polls

According to the officials, the voting will be held between 7 am and 4 pm at almost 3,337 polling stations, out of which 1,100 were identified as sensitive and 28 as critical under tight security surveillance.

To tighten the security arrangements during voting in the state, 31,000 polling personnel and 25,000 security personnel of central forces are ready to conduct the election in a free, fair and peaceful manner. Besides, 31,000 employees of the state armed police and the state police will be deployed to maintain law and order. 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, said a police official.

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Candidates contesting for the polls

BJP is contesting in 55 seats; its ally IPFT has fielded candidates in six constituencies. 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 Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has fielded nominees in 28 constituencies while there are 58 independent aspirants.

Moreover, 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.

BJP Chief JP Nadda takes Twitter

Taking to Twitter, BJP chief JP Nadda appealed to voters in Tripura to come out in strength and exercise their franchise.

“I urge all the voters to take part in this festival of democracy and show up to vote for the Tripura assembly elections. Each vote will count towards continuing the journey of good governance, development and will prove to be decisive for a prosperous, corruption- free Tripura,” tweeted Nadda.

Tripura Election 2018

Taking notes from the 2018 elections, the BJP had stormed to power with 36 seats, half of which were won from the tribal areas. The BJP had secured a 43.59 per cent vote share in 2018 compared to CPI(M)’s 42.22 per cent vote and 2 per cent of the Congress, with most of BJP’s gain at Congress’s expense.