LS Polls: 84% voter turnout in Tripura, 72.5% in Assam in 1st phase

An estimated 84 per cent of the voters cast their ballots in the elections to the Lok Sabha in Tripura while Assam reports 72.5 per cent turnout on the first day of the first leg of voting.

Voters in the two northeastern states became the first to kick-start the nine-phase elections to the 16th Lok Sabha.

Nearly a million of the 1.2 million electorate cast their ballot as polling was held in one of the two Lok Sabha constituencies in the Left-ruled Tripura, official sources said, adding, "Polling was absolutely peaceful."

Except for some delays due to technical snags in electronic voting machines, the polling went on without any hitch, officials said.

An estimated 72 per cent of the 6.44 million voters exercised their franchise in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam where 51 contestants, including two union ministers, are in the fray.

The exact percentage of voting could be higher and would be available only at night as thousands of people were still standing in queues when voting ended at 5 pm.

Tezpur recorded 73 per cent voting, Jorhat 75 per cent, Lakhimpur 67, Dibrugarh 70 and Koliabor 72 per cent, the sources said.

Balloting will continue till 5 pm, but can be allowed beyond the stipulated time if voters arrive at the polling stations by 5 pm.

94 voters exercised their franchise till noon in Tripura West Lok Sabha Constituency today, amid complaints of malfunctioning of EVMs at some places.