Tripura poll: 74% turnout till 4pm, says EC

The state, which is known for very high voting percentage, had recorded 93.61% in the 2013 assembly election, which was the highest ever figure in Tripura's electoral history as well as in the entire country. "Voting slips were distributed till 4 pm and those voters are at the booths", the Election Commission told ANI. "Two crude bombs were recovered which were disposed off", the EC added. The party has not fielded any candidate from the Kakrabon assembly seat of Gomti district.

Polling for Charilam seat has been postponed till the 12th of next month following the death of a candidate. Near about 297 candidates, including 20 women, are in the fray for the February 18 Tripura Assembly polls, an official said. Malfunctioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs), attached to voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), was reported from more than 100 polling stations.

During the mock poll only 19 ballot units, 11 control units and 79 VVPATS were replaced.

There are 25,73,413 registered voters - 13,05,375 male and 12,68,027 female - in the state. Over 47,803 were first time voters.

He hoped that like the manner peaceful atmosphere and tranquility was maintained in Sunday's polls, even after the election results on March 3 the same amity and peace will be ensured in the state.

The state is witnessing a fierce battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The BJP is understood to have put up a determined bid to wrest power from the CPI-M led Left Front from their traditional bastion.

Voting in 59 seats of Tripura's 60-seat assembly began at 7 am on Sunday. In few hilly and tribal areas, women had huddled in large numbers outside poll booths in their colourful traditional attires. The fight, pollsters claim, is primarily between the ruling CPI (M) and the aggressive BJP, which has tied up with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT).

The BJP, hitherto an "also ran" in the border state, has emerged as the key challenger to the Left Front, which has remained unvanquished in the last five Assembly elections.

The director general of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), R K Pachnanda, has been appointed as a special observer to coordinate with the security forces deployed in the state.