Agartala, February 16, Jankranti News: —- Assembly election polling has started in Tripura.  Polling will continue from 7 am to 4 pm.  259 candidates are in the fray for total of 60 seats.  20 of them are women.  There are 28.13 lakh voters in the state, of which 13.53 lakh are women.  Officials have set up 3337 polling centres across the state for them.  The results will be out on March 2.

 Analysts believe that this election will be a test by fire for the ruling BJP, which is facing tough competition from the opposition, and it will be difficult to win this time.  In the elections, BJP-IPFT and Left-Congress alliances were formed, but Tipra Motha Party (TMP) which belongs to the dynasty, stood as a strong contender.  Even if the TMC is in the contest, its influence is nominal.

While the ruling BJP is contesting in 55 seats in the state, its ally IPFT is contesting just five seats.  CPM is contesting in 47 seats and Congress in 13 seats in the Left alliance.  Tipra Motha Party (TMP) has fielded 42 candidates.  Out of 28 seats of Trinamool Congress, 42 independent candidates are contesting.

 —– M Venkata T Reddy, News Editor, MP Jankranti News