Voting undeway in 168 polling stations of West Tripura seat

Voting is underway on Sunday in 168 polling stations of West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency where re-poll was ordered following complaints of violence and large scale rigging by the ruling BJP on April 11.

A total of 1,41,251 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the repoll which is peaceful so far, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Suman Rakshit said.

Fifteen companies of Central Armed Police Forces were deployed in poll related duties in those polling stations. Polling was held in West Tripura seat on April 11 in the first phase but the opposition CPI(M) and the Congress had demanded repoll in the entire constituency, alleging large-scale rigging by the BJP.

The Election Commission, however, ordered repoll in 168 out of the 1,679 polling stations of West Tripura seat. Following allegations of rigging in West Tripura, the EC had postponed voting in East Tripura, the other Lok Sabha seat in the state, to the third phase on April 23 from April 18, saying the prevailing law-and-order situation there is not conducive for holding free and fair poll.

Special Election Observer Vinod Zutshi had come here late last month and examined footages recorded in webcams in the booths of West Tripura and other documents. He later
submitted his report to the EC.