Tripura East records 16.97% voter turnout till 9 am

Agartala: The Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency recorded a voter turnout of 16.97 per cent till 9 am on Friday, an official said.

Long queues were seen outside polling stations since morning, as people turned up early to beat the heat, Returning Officer Saju Vaheed said.

"Some EVMs were replaced after reports of malfunctioning... Polling is underway in a smooth manner,” he said.

Nearly 14 lakh voters, including 6.94 lakh women and 13 transgenders, will decide the fate of nine candidates in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

“I appeal to the voters to exercise their democratic right without any fear or intimidation,” INDIA bloc candidate Rajendra Reang told reporters after casting his vote at a polling station in Kanchanpur.