Tripura Poll Highlights: Voting for 60-member assembly ends, 81.10% voter turnout recorded till 4 pm

High Voter enthusiasm #TripuraElections2023 indicates peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the State for conduct of polls under the aegis of Election Commission of India. Adequate security forces made available to instil a sense of confidence among voters: Election Commission of India, spokesperson

Tripura is voting today. In this festival of democracy, I urge everyone to come out of their homes and exercise their franchise. Vote peacefully for a strong and vibrant democracy: Pema Khandu, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh

I have cast my vote at Tulsibati School under 8-Town Bordowali constituency. My appeal to all voters of Tripura is to participate in the festival of democracy & exercise their democratic rights to build "Unnat Tripura, Shrestha Tripura": Tripura CM Manik Saha

Visuals from a polling booth in Udaipur of Gomati district.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to people in Tripura to vote in "record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy" and specially called on the youth of the northeastern state to exercise their franchise in the Assembly elections that began today amid tight security. Read more

The official handle of Tripura poll office tweeted images of voters from the International Border area who have arrived to excercise their franchise. 

TIPRA Motha chairman Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma earlier announced that he will quit politics after the Tripura assembly elections and will never seek votes as ‘Bubagra’ (king). While addressing a rally on Tuesday, the scion of the former royal family of Tripura said many leaders have deserted him without understanding his feeling for putting up a fight for protecting the rights of poor people who have no food, shelter and education access.

After voting for Tripura election, CM Manik Saha said, "It feels good. I urge all voters to cast their vote."

Tripura CM Manik Saha casts his vote in Agartala.

We want peaceful voting. People ask me what is the challenge before me? The challenge is that the rivals (Congress-Left) that have come together in an unholy alliance should maintain peace: Manik Saha

I offered prayers in the morning and prayed for peaceful voting everywhere. You can see people have come out to vote. I am confident that BJP will definitely form the Government here: Tripura CM and BJP's Town Bordowali candidate, Manik Saha

Chief minister Manik Saha is contesting the polls from Town Borodowali. Congress has fielded Ashish Kumar Saha against him.

Manik Saha replaced Biplab Kumar Deb as chief minister in May last year.

Deputy chief minister Jishnu Dev Varma is contesting from Charilam seat.

Tripura BJP state president Rajiv Bhattacharjee is contesting from Banamalipur constituency. Former CM Biplab Deb earlier represented the seat.

CPI(M) state general secretary Jitendra Choudhury is contesting from Sabroom constituency.

According to Election Commission, there are 28.14 lakh eligible voters in this year's polls of which 14,15,233 are men, 13,99,289 women and 62 belong to the third gender. Voting is underway at 3,337 polling stations across the Northeast state.

Urging our sisters and brothers of Tripura to cast their vote to ensure that a development-oriented government is formed and the era of peace and progress that has already started continues smoothly. Come out and vote for a prosperous Tripura: Union home minister Amit Shah

Urging the people of Tripura to vote in record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy. I specially call upon the youth to exercise their franchise: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

This time BJP has fielded 12 women candidates. The BJP which had never won a single seat in Tripura before 2018, stormed to power in the last election in alliance with IPFT and had ousted the Left Front which had been in power in the border state for 35 years since 1978.

Tripura chief electoral officer Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao said that the international and inter-state boundaries have been sealed to keep trouble-makers at bay during the voting process. As part of precautionary measures, prohibitory orders have been imposed across the state till 6am on February 17, the CEO further stated.

Tripura chief electoral officer Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao told news agency PTI no untoward incident or EVM technical snag was reported from any part of the state during the first 30 minutes.

“Altogether 28.13 voters are scheduled to exercise their franchise during the day in 3,337 polling stations of the northeastern state to determine the fate of 259 candidates,” he added.

I urge all voters to take part in this festival of democracy & show up to vote for Tripura assembly elections. Each vote will count towards continuing the journey of good governance, development and prove to be decisive for a prosperous, corruption-free Tripura: BJP chief JP Nadda

Tripura is the first state to go to the polls this year. While polling for Nagaland and Meghalaya assemblies will be held on February 27, five more states face elections this year in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

The BJP is contesting on 55 seats, and its ally IPFT six . But both allies have fielded candidates in the Ampinagar constituency in Gomati district.

The Left is contesting on 47 and Congress 13, respectively. Of the total 47 seats, the CPM will contest 43 seats while the Forward Bloc, Communist Party of India ( CPI) and Revolutionary Socialist Party ( RSP) will contest one seat each.

The TMC has fielded nominees in 28 constituencies.

Apart from that, there are 58 Independent aspirants in the fray

Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar will cast his vote at 10-10.30 am.

Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha will case and state BJP president Rajib Bhattacharya would cast their votes from 8-8:30 am.

Trinamool Congress is contesting 28 seats and there are 58 independent candidates.

A total of 259 candidates, including 20 women, are in the fray. The counting of votes will be done on March 2.