Tripura bypoll: Voting begins for Dharmanagar Assembly seat

AGARTHALA: Voting for the byelection to Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in North Tripura district began at 7 am on Thursday amidst tight security, an official said.

A total of 46,142 voters will decide the fate of six candidates in the bypoll.

Women voters of 23,758 outnumber the 22,348 male electorate.

“Polling for the byelection in all 55 booths began at 7 am amidst tight security. Voters were seen standing in queues in various polling centres to exercise their democratic right”, returning officer Debjani Choudhury said.

She said webcasting has been ensured in all the booths apart from EVMs with VVPATs to maintain a total transparency during the voting process.

"An elaborate security arrangement has been made to ensure free, fair and violence-free voting. In view of a possible cyclone between April 8 and 10, adequate sheds have been set up at all booths," she added.

The byelection is set to witness a multi-cornered battle with all the three major parties- BJP, Left Front and Congress contesting separately.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Assembly speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen of the BJP in December last year.