Over 80% votes cast for Tripura Assembly seat

Over 80 per cent of the 36,793 electors cast their votes on Monday in the Charilam Assembly constituency in western Tripura, an official said.

According to the Returning Officer, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the constituency.

"In all, 36,793 voters, including 17,880 women, were eligible to cast votes. Around 1,000 voters were still awaiting their turn at the end of scheduled polling time at 4 p.m.," Returning Officer Samit Roy Chowdhury told IANS.

Elections were held in 59 of the 60 Assembly constituencies in Tripura on February 18. Balloting in Charilam (Reserved-Scheduled Tribe) was deferred after Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) nominee Ramendra Narayan Debbarma died on February 11 due to a cardiac arrest.

Five candidates, including Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) nominee and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Debbarma and Communist Party of India-Marxist's Palash Debbarma are in the fray in Charilam.

However, on the last day of campaigning on March 10, the CPI-M-led Left Front withdrew its candidate citing "extremely terrible situation" in the tribal-dominated areas of Tripura "due to massive reign of terror unleashed by the BJP".

Tribal outfit Indigenous People's Front of Tripura is an ally of BJP.

Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said that since March 7, no post-poll incident was reported from anywhere in the state.

"We had earlier received little over 100 complaints of attacks and arson. Police took immediate action in all cases," he told media persons.

CPI-M delegations led by party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar visited many areas hit by violence in the state after the polls.

Yechury, who left the state on Monday after a four-day visit to the trouble-torn areas, said the Election Commission should keep intact the people's trust and confidence besides ensuring free and fair elections.

"The situation in Charilam is horrifically bad due to excessive reign of terror since the BJP got a majority in the Assembly elections on Saturday."

Yechury said a party delegation met Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat and two Election Commissioners in Delhi on March 8 to urge them to postpone Charilam election till peace and normalcy was restored in the state.

Another party delegation met state Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti and raised similar demand.

"Specific instances of attacks on party offices, houses of party members and physical assaults on over 20 party leaders and members along with photographs and videos were submitted to the poll authorities but they did nothing."

--IANS

sc/tsb/dg