Altogether 259 candidates remained in fray for the Tripura Assembly elections after 19 nomination papers were rejected and 32 contestants withdrew their candidacy, an official said on Thursday.

The voting for the 60-member assembly will be held on February 16 and counting will take place on March 2.

A total of 297 candidates contested in the 2018 assembly polls.

“As many as 310 candidates have filed their nominations for contesting the election. Out of these, 19 nomination papers were rejected due to procedural faults,” Chief Electoral Officer Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao told a press conference here.

He said 32 candidates also withdrew their nominations on Thursday, the last day for doing so.

“Now, 259 candidates remained in the fray,” the CEO said.

The ruling BJP has fielded 55 contestants while its ally, Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), has put up nominees in six constituencies, he said.

In the Ampinagar Assembly constituency of Gomati district, the IPFT will fight a friendly battle with its ally BJP.

The CEO said the CPI(M) will contest in 43 seats alone while other Left Front constituents – the Forward Block, RSP and the CPI - will be contesting in one constituency each. The Left Front is supporting an independent candidate in the Ramnagar constituency of West Tripura.

The Congress, which is contesting the election in alliance with the Left Front, has nominees in 13 seats.

The Tipra Motha floated by erstwhile royal family's scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma has fielded candidates in 42 seats, the CEO said.

The Trinamool Congress put up candidates in 28 seats while 58 independent candidates are also in the electoral battle.

Voting on postal ballots will be commencing from February 8 in all 23 subdivisions of the northeastern state, Dinakarrao said.

“Now, the number of vulnerable and critical booths is 1,138 and 240 respectively,” he added.

As part of precautionary measures, the entry points of the state with Assam and Mizoram will be sealed.

“The chief secretary and the DGP will hold meetings with their counterparts in Assam and Mizoram to seal the entry points of the state. Besides, the BSF has already stepped up vigil along the border to foil any intrusion bid,” he said.

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