AGARTALA, Aug 8: The three-tier Panchayat elections in Tripura, which commenced at 7 AM today, recorded a voter turnout of over 79.06% by 4 PM, despite reports of sporadic incidents.
According to an official from the Tripura State Election Commission, the elections were held for a total of 6,909 seats, which include Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and Zila Parishads.
Notably, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already secured 4,805 seats uncontested.
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The breakdown of seats in Tripura’s Panchayat system includes 6,370 in Gram Panchayats, 423 in Panchayat Samitis, and 116 in Zila Parishads.
The voter base for these elections totals 12,94,153, comprising 6,58,445 male voters, 6,35,597 female voters, and 11 others, spread across 2,650 polling stations.
“The polls began at 7 AM and were scheduled to conclude at 4 PM. By 4 PM, voter turnout had reached 79.06%. However, voting continues in certain areas where polling started later due to minor issues. Elections were conducted in 2,102 seats. By 10 AM, the turnout was 24.97%, increasing to 44.01% by 12 PM, and reaching 61.83% by 2 PM. We are still compiling the remaining data,” the official noted.
He further mentioned that around six complaints of sporadic incidents were received, which were swiftly addressed by security personnel and Returning Officers.
“The administration implemented stringent security measures to ensure a peaceful voting process. Over 10,000 state security forces, including the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and 30 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), were deployed to maintain order during the Panchayat polls,” he added.
Assistant Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Ananta Das also commented on the largely peaceful nature of the election. “There were a few minor incidents, such as attempts to prevent voters and issuing threats. However, additional forces were promptly dispatched to address these issues. No major incidents have been reported,” Das said.
