Mandai (Tripura), Feb 23 : Tripura has set a benchmark of sort by registering the above average women votes in the polls concluded on Saturday.

Nearly 55 per cent of the voters who cast their votes in the election were women that are far above the average for other States.

Another interesting fact which have come out this time is that out of the total 313 candidates in the fray, about 10 per cent of the candidates are women.

The figure is higher than other States of the country where the average number of female candidates hovers around seven to eight per cent.

Around 2.03 million voters are going to vote in today's Assembly election but this time women turned out in large number.

Interestingly, when asked about the reason, most of them said that adequate security forces are there, so they are feeling safe and secured hence more women unlike earlier years, came out of there houses to cast their vote.

While others felt that the State is gradually achieving cent per cent literacy and the women folk are not lagging behind in any sphere.

The presence of the large number of women shows that women here are also the decision-makers now.

Tripura has been the only stronghold of the Left in the Northeast, and for the first time in over 25 years, insurgency is not an election issue. Instead development or the lack of it has been a key poll issue.

The Left, led by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, has been in power since 1993 and is going all out to retain power in the State.

The Union Government deployed 20,000 paramilitary personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to keep a check on insurgency and maintain security.

Record 60,000 security personnel had been deployed backed by air surveillance to ensure free and fair polls.

The Election Commission has deployed 750 micro observers to assist 60 general observers in overseeing the election process.

The ruling CPI (M)-led Left Front is locked in a direct fight with the opposition Congress-Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) alliance.

In 2003, the Left Front won 41 seats, the Congress 13 and its ally INPT six.

The counting of ballots for the 60-member Assembly will take place on March 7. (ANI)