Tripura: Polling for the Tripura East (ST) Lok Sabha seat began on Saturday amid tight security. Additional 35 companies of security forces have been dispatched by EC for deployment, along with the state police.
There are 12 candidates in the fray including CPI(M)’s Jitendra Chowdhury, who is the state industries minister, Congress’ Sachitra Debbarma, a prominent educationist, BJP’s Parkshit Debbarma, an ex-armyman, and Trinamool Congress leader Bhriguram Reang.
The CPM has won the seat 11 out of 15 times between 1952 and 2009 and did it consecutively since 1996.
An electorate of 11,38,765, including 580497 men, are eligible exercise their franchise in 1,490 polling stations, of which 18 have been identified as very vulnerable and more than 400 as vulnerable.
EC has set up nine all-women polling stations.
AssamÂ
Polling has begun in Assam for three Lok Sabha seats – Autonomous District (ST), comprising Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts, Karimganj (SC) and Silchar under elaborate security arrangement in the second phase of the elections in the state.
Elaborate security arrangement has been especially in the Karbi Anglong district under Autonomous District (ST) which till yesterday witnessed a bandh called by the Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers. As many as 17 companies of security forces have been deployed in the district. Helicopters have been pressed into service to keep a watch on the voting process.
An electorate of 29,26,762, including 15,26,082 males, 14,00,594 and 86 others, will exercise their franchise in 3,698 polling booths in the three constituencies.
Of the 37 candidates in the fray in the three seats, three each belong to Congress and BJP, two each to AGP, AIUDF, AAP, SUCI (Communist) and Samajwadi Party, one each to CPM, CPI-ML(L), Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. The remaining 19 are independents.
Goa
Polling for two Lok Sabha constituencies in Goa has also begun as the state witnesses a triangular fight between the BJP, Congress and newbie Aam Aadmi Party. Polling began on a sedate note at 7 am at all the 1,624 stations with a thin turnout in the first half an hour.
In all, 10,60,777 voters will exercise their franchisee in north and south Goa constituencies.
The Election Commission has identified 14 vulnerable and 30 critical polling stations in the state which have been given adequate security cover to avoid any untoward incident.
Polling will conclude at 6 pm. In North Goa, BJP’s Shripad Naik is pitted against Congress’ Ravi Naik, AAP’s Dattaram Desai and CPI’s Suhas Naik.
Congress’ Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco is fighting against BJP’s Narendra Sawaikar, AAP’s Swati Kerkar and CPI’s Raju Mangueshkar in South Goa constituency.
Sikkim
Voting for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Sikkim is under way, in which an electorate of 370,731, including 1,79,650 female voters, are eligible to participate. A force of 3,500 policemen and 15 companies of the West Bengal police have been assigned to maintain security during polling in this peaceful Himalayan state.
Tek Nath Dhakal of the newly-launched Sikkim Krantikari Morcha is pitted against sitting SDF MP Prem Das Rai in what is billed as a very tough fight. Apart from the two home-grown parties, the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have also put up candidates.
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