Agartala, September 28: Polling for the Village Committee elections in the hill areas of North Tripura was underway peacefully on Monday, with around 60 per cent voter turnout recorded by noon, officials said.
Voting began at 7 am at polling stations across the tribal areas, including Balichhara ADC Village under Kalachhara Block, where police and Tripura State Rifles personnel were deployed to maintain security and facilitate orderly polling.
Returning Officer Sumit Kumar Das said polling at Balichhara had remained peaceful and no untoward incident had been reported till midday. Voters were turning up in significant numbers, he said.
The elections are being held after nearly a decade and have seen candidates from the BJP, CPI(M), Congress, Tipra Motha and CPI(ML), besides independents, contesting for seats across the village committees. In Balichhara ADC Village, 25 candidates are in the fray for seven seats.
The Balichhara Higher Basic School has been designated as a polling centre with three booths. A total of 1,140 voters are registered at the centre, including 588 men and 552 women.
Voters were seen queuing outside polling stations to cast their ballots, with polling officials and security personnel overseeing the exercise. Voting is being conducted through ballot papers.
State Election Commission Secretary Anurag Sen said around 60 per cent turnout had been recorded across the polling areas and that the commission had received no report of any untoward incident. He said voters were participating enthusiastically and polling was proceeding in an orderly manner.
The elections are being held for **2,950 contested seats across 587 Village Committees**, with **8,176 candidates** in the fray. Of the total 4,597 seats, 1,644 had already been filled unopposed, while three seats remained vacant due to lack of nominations. Around **6.65 lakh voters** are eligible to cast ballots in the contested seats.
The previous Village Committee elections were held in 2016, while the elected bodies’ tenure ended in March 2021. The subsequent polls were delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and legal complications.
Polling is scheduled to continue until 4 pm. The State Election Commission has made extensive security arrangements, with central forces, Tripura Police and TSR personnel deployed at polling stations and sensitive locations. Counting of votes is scheduled for October 5.
