As Sunday's voting to elect 59 of the 60 members of the Tripura Assembly passed off peacefully, the ruling CPI-M and the BJP exuded confidence of an electoral victory in the northeastern state.
Except snags reported in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) attached with VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) in around 180 polling stations, the polling was incident-free. Over 75 per cent of the eligible voters had voted till 4 p.m. when the official voting hours ended.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tripura unit President Biplab Kumar Deb said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party President Amit Shah, General Secretary Ram Madhav, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other party leaders inquired about polling in Tripura.
"People want change. People strongly wish for a BJP government in Tripura. It is certain that the BJP will form the next government in Tripura," Deb told the media here.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar said the Left parties were "overconfident" of forming the next state government.
He said CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Biman Bose and other central leaders enquired on phone about the polling.
"The Prime Minister and other BJP leaders always talk of Digital India, but in today's (Sunday) elections a large number of EVMs-VVPATs malfunctioned to create serious doubts about the high-pitch Digital India campaign," the Left leader said.
Tripura Congress Vice-President Tapas Dey also said that frequent inquiries about Tripura elections were received from Congress President Rahul Gandhi's office in Delhi.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary C.P. Joshi, Secretary Bhupen Bora and other leaders also talked to Tripura Congress leaders on the polling, he added.
Criticising the state Election Department, the Congress leaders said election authorities in Tripura were not impartial and election management was very poor and inefficient.
"Despite complaints from the Congress and Left parties, election officials in Tripura did not take action. But election officials took prompt action when the BJP lodged any complaint," Dey added.
The counting of votes would be held on March 3.
Decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken on next day of Independence, PM Modi says in K'taka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken the very next day after the country achieved Independence in 1947.
Rahul slams BJD-BJP in Odisha rally, says both in collusion to benefit few corporates
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stepping up the party’s campaign in Odisha on Sunday lashed out at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government and the opposition BJP while accusing them of having ‘married’ each other for personal gains and befooling the public.
PM Modi has already scored a century in first two phases of LS polls: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already scored a century of seats in the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls.
Govt extends shutdown of schools in Tripura till May 1, heat wave alert extends
In view of the intense heat wave, the Tripura government has announced an extension of shutdown of all government aided schools and privately managed schools till May 1 next.
Despite having a woman CM, females in West Bengal most unsafe: JP Nadda
BJP national president J. P. Nadda on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, saying that despite having a woman chief minister, females in the state are most unsafe.
'Shehzada insulted Indian kings and emperors but forgot Aurangzeb's atrocities', PM Modi slams Rahul Gandhi
Coming down heavily on Rahul Gandhi over his recent remark that Rajas and Maharajas used to be "land grabbers", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress leader of playing appeasement politics and forgetting the atrocities committed by the likes of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who destroyed hundreds of temples.
Manipur: Gun battle breaks out among village volunteers of rival groups
Police said that several armed cadres of village volunteers opened indiscriminate fire on Koutruk village in the periphery of Imphal Valley from the adjoining hills in Kangpokpi district, and the armed village volunteers of rival ethnic groups retaliated.
'What has Didi done to Bengal', JP Nadda slams Mamata govt over Sandeshkhali issue
Launching a scathing attack against the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, BJP National President J. P. Nadda said that everyone saw how "anti-social elements" in Trinamool Congress like Sheikh Shahjahan have become a "threat" to the women of Sandeshkhali.