Tripura assembly polls tomorrow, campaign ends

Agartala: The high-decibel campaign for the Tripura assembly elections, marked by bitter political attacks and promises of development, ended on Tuesday.

The northeastern state, where top leaders had stepped up their electoral spadework over the past few days, is set to witness a triangular fight this time, with the BJP-IPFT coalition seeking to retain supremacy, the Left-Congress combine looking to wrest power, and regional outfit Tipra Motha making its debut at the hustings after its stunning performance in the autonomous council polls.

Polling to the 60-member assembly will be held on February 16. Votes will be counted on March 2.

"The campaign for the assembly elections ended at 4 pm on Tuesday without any major law and order issue. The poll machinery is geared up to conduct free, fair and peaceful elections on February 16," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao told PTI.

Polling will take place in 3,328 polling booths, of which 1,100 are sensitive and 28 critical, he said.

During the month-long campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and a dozen central ministers canvassed in favour of candidates of the saffron party, listing the benefits of the double engine government.

The party had also organised Vijay Sankalp Yatra', rallies and road shows to woo the electors.

The BJP-IPFT ally, which had won 18 of 20 seats in the tribal areas last elections, however, are facing a tough challenge this time from the Tipra Motha, headed by erstwhile royal scion Pradyot Manikya Debbarma, given that the regional outfit had made a big splash in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) polls two years ago, bagging 18 of the 30 seats.

Debbarma single-handedly canvassed for his Tipra Motha, which has decided to go solo after its demand for a separate state for indigenous people found no takers. The party will be contesting 42 seats in the elections.

Old rivals, the Left and the Congress, have joined hands to take on the BJP, with leaders, including CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat and Mohammad Salim and the grand old party's Adhir Chowdhury and Dipa Dasmunshi, travelling across the length and the breadth of the tiny state, highlighting the "failed promises of the BJP and instances of misgovernance".

Top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, however, were missing from Tripura's landscape.

Adequate security measures have been taken across the state and along the international border with Bangladesh, a senior police officer said.

A total of 259 candidates are in the electoral race, of whom 20 are women.

The BJP is contesting 55 assembly seats, and its ally IPFT has fielded candidates in six constituencies. The two parties will be having a be friendly fight in one seat.

The CPI(M) is contesting 47 seats and the Congress 13 constituencies.

The TMC has fielded nominees in 28 constituencies. Apart from that, there are 58 independent aspirants in the fray.

The ruling BJP has fielded the highest number of women candidates at 12.

As many as 28.13 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise on February 16