Tripura Assembly polls: Nearly 70% polling recorded till 3 pm
The crucial Assembly polls in Tripura were held on Thursday with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hoping to mark a clean sweep in a triangular contest against the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM)-Congress coalition and new party TIPRA Motha. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), at least 69.9% of polling was recorded till 3:00 pm.
Why does this story matter?
Twenty of the 60 Tripura Assembly seats are tribal-dominated, which holds the key for BJP. The saffron party is running alone on 55 seats and its ally, IPFT, on six. Recently, its attempt to ally with the newly launched TIPRA Motha failed. Meanwhile, the Congress-CPIM coalition hopes to put up a stiff fight against the BJP and block it from gaining a majority.
Polling percentage revealed by ECI
According to ECI, Tripura recorded around 69.9% voter turnout till 3:00 pm in the polling for 60 Assembly seats held on Thursday. The polling, which began at 7:00 am, concluded at 4:00 pm in a single-phase election. Notably, Dhalai recorded the highest turnout (33.92%) till 11:00 am followed by Khowai (30.88%), Gomati (30.57%), North Tripura (29.48%), Sepahijala (31.72%), South Tripura (33.61%) and Unakoti (31.85%).
Images and visuals of Tripura assembly polls shared by ECI
BJP will secure absolute majority: CM Manik Saha
On Thursday, Tripura CM Manik Saha exuded confidence that the BJP will secure an absolute majority in the Assembly elections. Saha, who is contesting the polls from the Town Bardowali Assembly constituency, said the saffron party will perform better than it did in the previous election. In 2018 polls, BJP had crossed the majority mark with 36 seats and formed the government with IPFT.
Left Front hopes to return to power with Congress
The CPIM, which ruled Tripura for 35 years, is running alongside the Congress in this election, with four-time former CM Manik Sarkar leading the campaign. The Left Front is contesting 47 of the 60 seats, leaving just 13 for Congress. Notably, CPIM won 16 seats in 2018, while the Congress was devoid of representation. This time, though, it is trying to obtain more seats.
BJP's post-poll alliance option open
Earlier reports claimed that TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Deb Barma discussed a merger with IPFT, a component of Tripura's BJP-led coalition government, but the talks were inconclusive. The BJP has now opted to run alone in the elections but has reportedly left the door open for a post-election alliance with TIPRA Motha if it fails to secure a majority on its own.
Results of the 2018 Assembly polls
In 2018, the BJP won 36 seats with 43.59% of the votes, and Biplab Kumar Deb was made the CM. The Left Front alliance was able to get only 16 seats while bagging 44.35% of the votes. Last year, however, the BJP made Manik Saha the CM of Tripura and nominated Deb as a Rajya Sabha MP.
