Over 80% turnout in Tripura, Bru migrants vote too

Mukesh Ranjan

New Delhi, February 16

The tentative voter turnout for the 60-member Tripura Assembly today was recorded at 80.13 per cent with the final figures to be known only by Friday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said.

The polling passed off “largely violence-free”, the commission said, adding that eligible Bru migrant voters, displaced from Mizoram 26 years ago due to ethnic trouble, were able to exercise their franchise for the first time in the state.

Congress, BJP get notice for tweets

• Notices to state units of Cong, BJP for seeking votes on Twitter when polling was underway
• Seizures of over Rs 147 crore so far in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland, mark a 20-time increase as compared to the Assembly elections in 2018

79% turnout in 2018

Poll panel officials said no major complaints had been received so far by the ECI. “There have been no reports of any major violence or attack on candidates or (polling) agents or intimidation of voters. As against 168 repolls in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, today’s poll for 60 Assembly seats in Tripura has been largely peaceful with no (demand for) repoll reported so far,” the poll panel said in a statement.

“Minor instances” of violence which were reported were promptly looked into by local officials,” the panel added. “For the first time in many years, Bru migrant voters were able to exercise their franchise. Special efforts were made to enrol them. Some 14,055 eligible Brus were enrolled in the state in 12 locations. They cast their votes at these locations spread across four districts,” it said. Meanwhile, the ECI said it had seized drugs, cash, and freebies worth over Rs 147 crore in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

According to officials, the seized items included Rs 14 crore in cash, foreign liquor valued at over Rs 9 crore and drugs worth Rs 85.76 crore.

The highest seizures were made in Meghalaya at over Rs 63 crore, followed by Tripura (Rs 44.67 crore) and Nagaland (Rs 39.19 crore). Nagaland and Meghalaya will go to the polls on February 27.

The poll panel said the seizures in the three states marked a significant increase as compared to 2018 polls.