Agartala, Nov 5 (TIWN): Municipal bodies will go to polls in Tripura on December 9.Model code of conduct for elections has come into force from Thursday with state election commission issuing notification for holding elections of 154 civic bodies, including municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats.

State Chief Election commissioner told reporters here that counting of votes for 5 lakhs, 37 thousand, and 986 voters would take place on December 12.  Among them 2 lakhs, 69 thousands and 214 are male voters and 2 lakhs,68 thousands and 754 are female voters.

Security will be tightened up for the peaceful election.

The civic polls in Tripura, with half the seats reserved for women, would be held Dec 9; it was officially announced here on Thursday.

According to officials, Tripura is the first state in India where elections to urban civic agencies would be held with 50 percent of seats reserved for women.

The Tripura government in March this year amended the Tripura Municipal Act, enhancing reservation for women in urban local agencies from 33 percent to 50 percent.

Tripura is the fifth state in India after Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh to provide for 50 percent reservation for women in local urban and rural agencies.

Meanwhile, the Left Front is yet to declare its candidates for the civic polls.

Tripura Congress would also announce its candidates within a week.

The final photo voter lists for the ensuing Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), 13 Municipal Councils and 6 Nagar Panchayats was announced on Wednesday by state election department. Besides, the names of SDM and BDOs appointed for one zilla parishad seat, one panchayat samiti seat and 25 wards of gram panchayat is also announced.

It is mentionable here that elections to the urban local bodies would be held with 50 percent of seats reserved for women. The state government has increased the number of seats in all civic bodies of the state comprising municipal corporation, municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats. Apart from this 8 municipal councils across Tripura have also increased their seats by a total of 18, seats for the Nagar Panchayats were not increased. In the government notification a total of one municipal corporation, 13 municipal councils and six Nagar Panchayats seats have been declared in the notification for ensuing civic bodies’ election.