The first phase of the six-week-long general elections for the 18th Lok Sabha, around 80.40 percent voter turnout was registered till 5 PM on Friday in the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat amid tight security.

The voting in 1686 polling booths across the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat started amidst tight security. While, opposition parties claimed that large scale mal-practices had been conducted by ruling party supporters including maximum polling agents of INDIA Bloc parties were forcefully obstructed to enter into polling stations and large numbers of opposition voters were also obstructed to cast their votes.

Barring reports of stray violence, the first phase election to West Tripura seat was by and large peaceful, but opposition parties after the poll had demanded re-poll for West Tripura LS seat and for Ramnagar assembly seat.

Giving details of polling, Returning Officer (RO) of West Tripura Parliamentary Constituency , Dr Vishal Kumar said that a total of 68.64 percent voters cast their votes in the by-elections to the 7-Ramnagar assembly seat till 5 PM and after 5 PM , thousands of voters of the constituency are still in queues.

Though there is no untoward incident reported from anywhere in the parliamentary constituency, INDIA Bloc leaders alleged that party agents were not allowed to enter into the several polling stations.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Tripura Puneet Agarwal after casting his vote in Agartala said that by and large polling is peaceful and he hoped that final percentage would be above 83 percent.

“We have received many complaints over forceful obstructions of some voters and polling agents of few parties were not allowed to enter into the polling stations,” said Agarwal and poll personnel are now reviewing all complaints received till now.

Over questioning of forceful obstruction of voters in Ramnagar assembly constituency, Agarwal said their teams are in touch with some polling agents and investigating the complaints received from CPI(M) candidate Ratan Das.

He said that all voters are enthusiastically voting across the constituency and all polling stations under webcasting  and there are no disturbances inside any polling stations.

Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha after casting his vote at a school here expressed his confidence that BJP would win in Tripura's two Lok Sabha seats and Ramnagar assembly seat.

Polling for the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat and the Ramnagar assembly segment, where by-polls are being held, started on Friday morning under strict security arrangements.

While, RO of the West Tripura Lok Sabha seat, Dr Vishal Kumar briefing media said after 5 PM, about 23,000 voters are standing in lines and he hoped that final percentage of turnout will reach 2 to 30 percent more.

So far, among 30 assembly segments under West Tripura LS seat, highest  percentage voting recorded from Belonia assembly segment at 85.64% and lowest turnout recorded from 7-Ramnagar at 68.64%.

By Friday night 10.30 PM all the polling parties will returned back to 7 locations with polled EVMs, said Dr Kumar and added that there are one location at Umakanta Academy in West Tripura district, 3 locations in Sepahijala district, one in Gomati and two more in South Tripura district.

He said that the poll panel received many complaints of forceful obstruction of voters, intimidation etc and swiftly, the poll authorities acted over complaints. Two poll personnel were suspended, who were engaged in duties for the by-poll of Ramnagar assembly seat and two persons were also arrested from Mohanpur area for creating obstruction to voters.

He said that polling was peaceful and there were no untoward incidents and any injuries of any persons.

Replying to the allegation over demand of re-poll both in the parliamentary constituency and Ramnagar assembly seat, the RO said that a sufficient number of security forces were deployed across the constituencies and it is not possible to verify the complaints received over resistance to voters.

Election officials said that 14.63 lakh voters, including 7.34 lakh women electorate, will decide the fate of nine candidates in the politically important parliamentary seat.

The main contest is expected between former Tripura Chief Minister and BJP candidate Biplab Kumar Deb, and state Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha, of the INDIA Bloc

The voting also went on simultaneously for the by-election to the Ramnagar Assembly seat, which fell vacant after the demise of sitting BJP MLA Surajit Datta on December 28 last year.

Two candidates, one each of the BJP and the CPI-M, are trying their electoral fortunes in the Ramnagar Assembly by-poll.

Over 20,000 polling personnel would conduct the voting in 1,686 polling stations in the Tripura West Parliamentary constituency. Voting would continue till 5 p.m. without any interruption.