Tripura panchayat by-polls: 81.03 per cent voting recorded, police resists attempt of poll disturbance

The official also said that no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state except a “skirmish” at Kadamtala in North Tripura district, 193 Km from here.

Tripura by polls, Tripura bye elections, Tripura panchayat body by polls, Tripura polls, Tripura voters turnout, Tripura, Indian Express

By-polls were conducted in 132 seats of Gram Panchayats and 7 seats of Panchayat Samity. (Representational)

Bye-election for three-tier panchayat bodies in Tripura registered 81.03 per cent turnout on Sunday, officials said. “Preliminary reports from all three-tier panchayat bodies which underwent polling today suggest that there was 81.03 percent turnout. However, further reports are still being compiled from other blocks”, a senior official from the State Election Commission said.

The official also said that no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state except a “skirmish” at Kadamtala in North Tripura district.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, North Tripura Superintendent of Police Bhanupada Chakraborty said that 5-6 miscreants tried to force their way into a polling booth and disrupt the poll process. “Security personnel immediately reached the scene, issued mild lathi charge and dispersed the mob. Other than this, election was held peacefully”, he said.

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Polling was conducted in 132 seats of Gram Panchayats and 7 seats of Panchayat Samity. It started at 7 AM this morning and continued till 4 PM.

Earlier on September 01, State Election Commissioner G Kameshwara Rao announced bye-elections in 3,207 seats of gram panchayats, 161 Panchayat Samiti seats and 18 seats of Zilla Parishad. The by-poll became necessary after elected public representatives resigned in large numbers since the BJP-IPFT government assumed office on March 03.

BJP emerged victorious in over 96 percent of the seats where bye-election was announced without contest as opposition parties failed to submit nomination papers.

Votes cast during by-poll process today would be counted on October 03. The entire process would be completed within October 09.

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Ruling BJP congratulated the State Election Commission for peaceful conduction of by-polls and have said, “The state government has conducted bye-election within time. Except a few stray incidents, the by-poll was totally peaceful. CPIM tried to disrupt poll process at Kadamtala in North Tripura. This is testimony of their political bankruptcy. We thank people who participated in the by-polls”, BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb said.

Tripura Pradesh Congress vice-president Tapas Dey said that Congress supporters were not allowed to votes. “The entire system is a farce. They (BJP) didn’t allow anybody to cast votes. The election machinery was mute spectator. We don’t hope that we will win in this bye-election”, Dey said.

However, the Congress leader said that the by-poll exercise would help Congress in getting close to people.

CPIM state spokesperson Goutam Das said there were efforts by BJP supported hooligans to terrorize opposition supporters and stop them from casting votes.

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“They also tried to capture polling booth at Kadamtala-Kurti in North Tripura. There were threats on CPIM supporters in different parts of the state. But people have tried to turn up and exercise their voting rights”, Das told this correspondent.