Amidst tight security, the State Election Commission (SEC) is ready for counting of polled votes for three-tier Gram Panchayat elections across 35 blocks of the state from Monday morning 8 AM.

Barring some stray incidents of violence and attacks on polling agents of rival political parties, the three-tier Gram Panchayat elections held across 35 blocks of Tripura passed off peacefully on August 8th and 79.06 percent voter turnout was recorded.

Giving details on counting, the Secretary of SEC, Asit Kumar Das said that all preparations have been completed for counting votes from Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad seats in 35 blocks of the state, where counting of votes will begin from Monday morning 8 AM simultaneously.

He said adequate security arrangements were also made and prohibitory orders has also been imposed in and around all counting locations.

Das said that this for the first time the SEC in association with National Informatics Centre (NIC) has adopted an automation process, in which people  can instantly see the counting results  through the website www.sec/results.tripura.gov.in

It may be recalled here that elections are not being held in a vast majority of the Panchayat areas in Tripura as the ruling BJP won 71 percent of the Gram Panchayat seats, 68 percent of the Panchayat Samiti seats, and 17 percent of the Zilla Parishad seats uncontested. In 2019, the BJP had won over 96 percent of the rural local body seats, including 86 percent of Gram Panchayat seats, without a contest.

SEC officials said that re-poll was conducted on August 11th in a polling station under Kumarghat block due to submission of wrong ballot papers.

Amidst opposition parties’ allegations of pre-poll violence, intimidation and attacks, 4,550 out of the 6,370 seats in Gram Panchayat bodies were won by the BJP uncontested this year. Of the 1,819 seats that went to polls on Thursday(August 8), the BJP has put up candidates in 1,818, the CPI(M) in 1,222, the Congress in 731, and the Tipra-Motha in 138, apart from some Independent candidates.

Of the 423 Panchayat Samiti seats, 244 have been won uncontested. Of the 189 seats that went in for polling, the BJP has put up candidates in 188 seats, the CPI(M) in 148, the Congress in 98, and the Tipra-Motha in 11.

Meanwhile, 20 out of 116 Zilla Parishad seats went in favour of the BJP without contest and 96 seats went to polls, with 33 per cent reservation for women. The votes will be counted on August 12.