Tripura Assembly Polls: Campaigns end, security deployed as state prepares to vote tomorrow

Tripura Assembly Election: Dates

The elections will take place on 16 February. According to the official notification from the Election Commission of India (ECI), the votes will be counted on 3 March.

Tripura Assembly Election: Seats

The state on Thursday will conduct voting in 3,328 polling booths. The unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tripura has 60 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

There are 28.13 lakh voters eligible to exercise their franchise. A total of 259 candidates are in the electoral race, of whom 20 are women.

Tripura Assembly Elections: Background

The BJP had overturned a twenty five year regime of the CPIM in Tripura during the 2018 Assembly Elections.

Apart from the ruling BJP and the CPIM-Congress Alliance, The state of Tripura can also vote for another newly formed party- Tipra Motha led by former royal scion Pradyot Manikya Debbarma.

Having the benefit of being more local than the national parties, the Tipra Motha has promised to fight for ‘Greater Tipraland’. The odea of Greater Tipraland is a separate state for the indigenous people of the state.

Apart from them, TMC has also forayed into the political scenario of Tripura, hoping to overthrow the BJP rule in the state.

Tripura Assembly Elections: Who is contesting where?

The BJP is contesting 55 assembly seats, its ally IPFT has fielded candidates in six constituencies, while there will be a friendly fight in one seat. BJP has also fielded the highest number of women candidates with 12.

The CPI(M) is contesting 47 seats and the Congress is fighting in 13 constituencies.

The TMC has fielded nominees in 28 constituencies and there are 58 independent aspirants too.

The Tipra Motha has also pinned their hopes on the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) that administers the Tipra-dominated areas of the state. The party won 18 of the 30 seats in the TTAADC. The Tipra Motha banks on its influence in the 20 tribal-dominated seats in a 60-member legislative assembly. The party is contesting 42 seats.

Tripura Assembly Elections: Big Players

During the campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and a dozen central ministers canvassed for the saffron party candidates.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, and senior leaders Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat and Mohammad Salim, along with former CM Manik Sarkar and party state secretary Jitendra Choudhury, campaigned in favour of the party.

Congress leaders Adhir Chowdhury, Dipa Dasmunshi and AICC general secretary Ajay Kumar campaigned for the grand old party, but neither Rahul Gandhi nor Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the state for campaigning.

Former royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma single handedly canvassed for his Tipra Motha party.