AGARTALA, Dec 11 (TIWN): The next 24 hours to decide the fate of the 886 aspirating candidates who fought the election on December 9 in Tripura. The election to 19 of the 20 urban local bodies in Tripura passed peacefully on Wednesday. However, the next crucial 24 hours to decide the fate of the aspiring candidates of the majority party in the state.Countdown begins for the most awaited results of the civic polls. The fate of 886 contesting candidates will be decided on Saturday as the counting of votes will takes place. All arrangements have been made for the free and fair counting of votes.Majority of the results are expected to be out by Saturday afternoon. The counting of ballots will start at 8-00 AM on December 12 and will end by afternoon.It is to be mentioned here that everyone is eyeing forward to the results of the civic poll in the state. There are about 5.24 lakh voters who would decide the fate of 886 candidates across 657 polling booths. There was no report of any violence during the polling period and the vote was conducted peacefully in the state.The ruling CPM has a municipality in Jirania and a few seats in Khowai and Amarpur uncontested. It has also won 10 panchayat seats in by-election uncontested.

There are a total of 886 contenders, including 429 women, from all parties in the fray. The Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamool Congress besides the Left Front are among those contesting the elections to the local urban bodies.

Now only a matter of 24 hours to decide the fate of these candidates in the state. A total of 537,968 people, including 268,754 women, were eligible to cast their votes in the municipal elections.

The 144-year-old Agartala Municipal Corporation is the oldest municipal body in the north-eastern region. The Agartala municipality, which turned into a corporation two years back, was constituted in 1871.

All the EVMs are kept in the strong room at Umakanta school under strict security arrangements.

Huge security is deployed in Umakanta School where the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were kept in strong rooms till counting of votes on December 12. The EVMs were kept in separate rooms and sealed in the presence of Returning Officer and Collector and polling agents after the completion of the vote on Wednesday.

All the polling personnel have returned from the polling booths and submitted the EVMs at all strong rooms at Umakanta School and massive security arrangements are made to avoid any untoward incident.

To ensure free and fair counting, security arrangements are massively tightened in all strong rooms of Umakanta School.