72% turnout in Tripura West repoll

AGARTALA: Re-election in 168 polling stations of Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency concluded peacefully on Sunday, with a high turnout of 72.32%.
Of the 1,679 polling stations in the constituency, elections to which were held in the first phase on April 11, the returning officer had reported irregularities in 433. The Election Commission ordered repolling in 168, which both Congress and CPM were opposed to.
On Sunday, the EC said the election was peaceful. "Only paramilitary troopers were deployed at polling stations. More than 7,000 security personnel from central paramilitary and Tripura State Rifles were deployed to ensure free and fair re-polling," returning officer Vikas Singh, district magistrate and collector of West Tripura district, said.
CPM, however, alleged voter intimidation by cadres of ruling BJP. It said its supporters in Mohanpur, Jirania, Bishalgarh and Sonamura were asked to abstain by ruling party cadres. Congress, on the other hand, said except a few incidents of intimidation, the election was conducted peacefully. Both CPM and Congress had moved the Supreme Court, seeking a re-examination of the EC's decision to restrict repolling to just 168 polling stations.
Police spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said no untoward incident had been reported from anywhere. "Snags in voting machines halted polling in few places for a while, but these were corrected soon," Chakraborty said.