Braving the scorching heat, Tripura East records over 80 pc turnout

Despite the scorching heat, over 80 per cent of the 14 lakh voters cast their votes in the Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency where polling was held under a heavy security cover on Friday.

The police said that no untoward incident was reported during polling from the tribal reserve parliamentary constituency.

Election officials said that heavy security arrangements were made for the Tripura East seat spread across six districts to thwart any incidents of violence.

Around 1,050 voters in the tribal-dominated Raima Valley refused to cast their votes in protest against the bad road conditions and poor water supply in their area. However, after being persuaded by senior officials, the angry voters agreed to vote.

A large number of the voters residing outside the border-fenced area (inside Indian territory near the zero line) on the India-Bangladesh border in Kailashahar exercised their franchise after the BSF personnel opened the gates on the border.

Meanwhile, the authorities on Friday suspended polling official Mousumi Ghosh, posted in the Surma Assembly segment, for making comments involving a top political leader of the country. However, the suspension order was withdrawn late Friday evening.

At least 15 voters, including women, were injured when a swarm of bees attacked them. They were in the queue to cast their votes in Barabill area of Tripura's Khowai district.

Election officials said that Fire and Emergency Service personnel rushed to the spot and shifted the affected voters to the Khowai district hospital. After treatment, they were sent to their homes.

Around 14 lakh voters, including 6.94 lakh females, were eligible to cast their votes to decide the fate of nine candidates in the politically crucial parliamentary seat, reserved for the tribals.

Returning Officer Saju Vaheed A. said that the majority of over 16,000 Reang tribal voters, who were recently rehabilitated in different districts of Tripura after being displaced from the neighbouring Mizoram state following ethnic trouble there, cast their votes in different polling stations for the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat.

Though there are nine candidates in the fray, the main contest is between the BJP's Kriti Devi Debbarman, the elder sister of Tipra Motha Party chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, and the CPI-M's Rajendra Reang, a former MLA representing the opposition INDIA bloc.

The other Lok Sabha seat in the state -- Tripura West -- went to the polls in the first phase on April 19, recording a turnout of around 82 per cent. The by-election to the Ramnagar Assembly constituency was also held on April 19.