Tripura polls: 11% voter turnout recorded till 9 AM

An approximate of 11 percent voter turnout till 9 a.m. has been recorded in the Tripura assembly elections on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar cast his vote at a polling booth in Agartala. He is an MLA from Dhanpur constituency.

Voting for the 59 out of 60 seats began at 7 a.m. at 3,214 polling stations across the state. It will go on until 4 p.m.

Polling in the Charilam constituency has been deferred due to the death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) candidate Ramendra Narayan Debbarma. It will be held on March 12.

The Tripura elections will decide the fortunes of 292 candidates, including 23 women.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are looking to root out the CPI-M, which has been ruling the state for the past 25 years.

In their attempt to remove the Manik Sarkar-led government from the state, the BJP has tied up with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT). While the BJP is contesting from 51 seats, IPFT has been given the remaining nine seats.

The CPI-M has fielded candidates on 57 seats, leaving one each for its alliances.

The Congress, on the other hand, is fighting the battle alone.

The results of the polling will be declared on March 3 along with Nagaland and Meghalaya.

-ANI