Final polling percentage in Tripura assembly polls will be 92 % : CEO

AGARTALA: The polling percentage in Thursday's Assembly elections in Tripura would be around 92 per cent, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao said.

Voter turnout was 91.82 per cent and 89.38 per cent in 2013 and 2018 Assembly elections, respectively.

The CEO said that when the voting officially ended at 4 p.m. in the afternoon, nine per cent of voters were in the queue in 1,600 polling stations across the state and they were being allowed to cast their votes as of late Thursday evening in a large number of polling stations in different districts.

"Over 81.1 per cent of the 28.14 lakh voters exercised their franchise when the polling officially ended at 4 p.m.. Over 2.2 per cent people, mostly polling and security personnel, cast their votes through postal ballot before Thursday's voting," Dinkarrao told the media.

He said that except for five incidents, the voting across the state was 100 per cent peaceful. Six people were arrested in connection with these incidents, he said.

"The Election Commission has initiated zero poll violence missions and that was fully achieved," the CEO said. He said that it is a matter of satisfaction that in all polling stations, more than one polling agents of candidates were present, webcasting done, and Central Armed Police Force and micro observers were present in all the polling stations.

In all, 259 candidates, including 31 women, are in the fray for the election to the 60-member house. In the 2018 Assembly polls, there were 297 candidates, including 24 women.