LS polls: 84% turnout in Tripura, 72.5% in Assam

NEW DELHI: Tripura on Monday witnessed 84% polling in one Lok Sabha seat while in Assam 72.5 per cent voters cast their ballot in five constituencies as the first phase of the nine-stage general elections ended peacefully.

Till 5 PM, when the polling ended, voters were standing in long queues and the polling percentage in the six constituencies of the two northeastern states could witness a rise.

"We expect the poll percentage to cross 75%," Deputy Election Commissioner Alok Shukla told reporters here while briefing on the polling in the five Assam constituencies of Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur. Assam has 14 Lok Sabha seats and the next phases of polling will be held on April 12 and 24.

The poll percentage in Tripura (West) seat, one of the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Tripura, could also see a rise of one or two per cent, said EC DG Ashish Srivastava. Polling in Tripura (East) seat will be held on April 12.

In the 2009 general elections, the whole of Assam had recorded 69.60% polling. The poll percentage then in Tripura (West) seat was 86.25%.

In Assam's five constituencies with nearly 64.50 lakh electors, 51 candidates are in the fray. Tripura (West) has 13 candidates.

Seeking to bring more transparency and ensuring free and fair elections, the EC did live webcast in 20 polling stations in the first phase.