Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: Tripura’s Village Committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council recorded a final voter turnout of 81.21 per cent, while the State Election Commission has ordered re-polling in three seats across two Village Committees on October 3.
State Election Commissioner P K Chakravarti announced the re-polling at a press conference at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Re-polling will be held in seats 3 and 4 of constituency 2 of the Gamaria Village Committee under Matabari RD Block and seat 4 of constituency 4 of the Paharpur Village Committee under Amarpur RD Block.
According to the commission, the re-poll at Gamaria was necessitated by reports of booth capturing and alleged tampering with ballot boxes and ballot papers. At Paharpur, the decision followed discrepancies concerning the allotment of election symbols and printing of ballot papers.
Polling was held on September 28 across 587 Village Committees. Of the 9,61,977 registered voters, 1,644 candidates were elected unopposed after the completion of the nomination and withdrawal process.
Voting in the remaining 44 RD blocks covered 432 Village Committees, 1,768 constituencies and 2,956 seats. A total of 8,176 candidates contested these seats, with 6,58,247 voters assigned to 1,095 polling stations.
The commission also permitted election officials, security personnel and others engaged in the poll process to cast their votes. A total of 6,628 election duty votes were recorded.
Chakravarti said returning officers initially reported a turnout of about 79 per cent after polling closed at 4 pm. Around 10,850 voters were still waiting in queues at polling stations across 28 blocks and were issued slips by presiding officers to enable them to vote.
Based on entries in the presiding officers’ diaries, the turnout was subsequently revised to 81.01 per cent. With election duty votes included, the final turnout stood at 81.21 per cent.
The commissioner described the polling as largely peaceful, while acknowledging reports of isolated incidents. The commission received eight complaints from political parties, mainly alleging obstruction of polling agents and preventing them from performing their duties.
Reports have been sought from observers and returning officers. The commission closed some complaints after finding insufficient basis, while inquiries into others are continuing.
Chakravarti also said a Tipra Motha delegation had submitted a representation regarding reports of firing at Warengbari SB School, in which a party candidate and two others were reportedly injured. The matter was referred to the police and Home Department for necessary action.
The re-polling on October 3 will begin at 7 am. Counting of votes will take place from 8 am on October 5 at designated centres across the 44 blocks.