Agartala: Fresh updates from vote counting at 21 locations in Tripura show the BJP well ahead of the Opposition alliance forged by CPM and the Congress.
BJP candidates are leading in 32 seats, including Bordowali, Ramnagar, Khayerpur, Majlishpur, Badarghat, Mohanpur, Nalchar, Charilam, Dhanpur and Bishalgarh.
Tripura Chief Minister and BJP candidate Manik Saha is leading in Bordowali seat, Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma is ahead in Charilam seat, Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik in Dhanpur seat, Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath is leading in Mohanpur seat, Rampada Jamatia in Bagma), Sushanta Chowdhury in Majlishpur, Ratan Chakraborty in Khayerpur, Surajit Datta in Ramnagar) and Ra Prasad Paul in Surjyamaninagar, the candidate of BJP ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) is leading in Jolaibari.
The CPI(M) candidates are leading in 11 seats, including Pratapgarh, Barjala, Bamutia, Belonia, Hrishamukh, Sabroom, Sonamura.
Among the important CPI(M) candidates leading are state party Secretary Jitendra Chowdhury (Sabroom seat), Sudip Sarkar (Barjala), Dipankar Sen (Belonia), Shyamal Chakraborty (Sonamura).
Congress, which contested the February 16 Assembly elections in seat sharing adjustments with the Left parties, is leading in Agartala, Banamalipur, Pabiachara and Kailashahar.
The important Congress candidates leading in the counting of votes include Sudip Roy Barman in Agartala seat, Gopal Chandra Roy in Banamalipur seat and state Congress President Birajit Sinha in Kailashahar seat.
The tribal-based Tipra Motha Party (TMP), which for the first time contested the Tripura assembly election in 42 seats, is leading in 11 seats, including Simna, Santir Bazar, Raimavalley, Karamchara.
Among the important TMP candidates leading include Chitta Ranjan Debbarma (Ambassa seat), Pathan Lal Jamatia (Ampinagar), Animesh Debbarma (Asharambari) and Paul Dangshu (Karamchara).Meanwhile, an independent candidate is leading in Kanchanpur seat.
In the February 16 elections to the 60 seat Tripura Assembly, 89.95 per cent of the 28.14 lakh voters exercised their franchise and will decide the fate of 259 candidates, including 31 women.
IANS with superficial edits