Agartala: The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections recorded an 83.52 per cent voter turnout, the State Election Commission (SEC) said, even as sporadic incidents of clashes and allegations of irregularities were reported from parts of the state.
Compared to the previous polls held in 2021, the final voter turnout has dropped by around 2 per cent, which stood at 85.71 per cent.
Tripura State Election Commission Secretary Anurag Sen said a re-poll has been ordered at booth number 39 (Hirapur SB School) under the 17 Pekuajala–Janmejoynagar constituency following reports of unfair practices.
“We received credible evidence of polling malpractices at this particular booth and, based on that, the State Election Commissioner has ordered a re-poll in the constituency,” said Sen.
The compilation of data received from polling stations continued till the early hours of Monday, as the final data was released at 2:30 am on Monday.
“The overall poll percentage was 83 per cent. The final figure will be confirmed after receiving reports from all polling stations,” he had said earlier on Sunday night.
Sen said the commission had received specific complaints and sought reports from district magistrates and other officials.
While major political parties described the polling as largely peaceful, incidents of clashes, intimidation and obstruction of polling agents were reported from some areas. A senior police official said minor clashes between rival political groups took place in Khowai, Sepahijala and South Tripura districts, leaving around 10 people injured.
Despite the deployment of security forces, including 24 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), reports of security lapses surfaced at certain polling stations. According to police, more than 13,500 personnel, including around 12,000 from the Tripura State Rifles and state police, were deployed across the 28 constituencies.
Polling began at 7 am and witnessed long queues at several booths, with voters, including tribal men and women in traditional attire, turning out in large numbers. In some polling stations, voting continued beyond scheduled hours due to the heavy turnout.
A total of 9,62,697 voters, including 4,80,666 women, were eligible to cast their votes to decide the fate of 173 candidates. This time, only eight women candidates were given tickets. Polling was conducted across 1,257 polling stations, of which 311 booths were categorised as highly critical and 693 as vulnerable.
Compared to 2021, the electorate has increased by around one lakh voters. In 2021, the final electoral rolls had 8,65,041 voters, of which 7,41,537 cast their votes, resulting in a turnout of 85.71 per cent.
In 2021, the BJP contested 15 seats and won 10, securing a vote share of 18.73 per cent. Tipra Motha emerged as the dominant force with 46.72 per cent of the vote, winning 18 seats.
At that time, Tipra Motha contested under the symbols of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and the Tipraland State Party (TSP), as it was not yet a registered political entity. The INPT secured 9.30 per cent of the votes by contesting five seats, while the TSP secured 37.42 per cent by contesting the remaining 23 seats.
The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), which contested 18 seats, secured a vote share of 10.62 per cent, while the CPI(M) received 12.46 per cent.
In 2026, the electoral dynamics have changed. The BJP is contesting all 28 seats, while the IPFT is contesting 25 seats. The overall outcome may hinge on how much of its vote share the IPFT is able to retain. Its expanded presence across constituencies could significantly influence voting patterns and determine whether the BJP or Tipra Motha gains the upper hand.
The 2021 polls showed that many constituencies were decided by narrow margins. In several seats, BJP victories came by a few hundred to just over a thousand votes.
The contest saw the participation of the BJP, CPI(M)-led Left Front, Congress, Tipra Motha Party and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, along with independents and smaller parties.
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