NEW DELHI. Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Polling started Sunday in India's northeastern state of Tripura, which has been ruled by the Communists Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), for the past 25 years.

The CPI(M) and the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are pitted against each other in a direct fight.

Out of the total 60 assembly elections, voting is in-progress in 59 constituencies. Election in one constituency was postponed to March 12 after one of the candidates died a natural death in the run up to the polls.

Around 2.5 million voters will decide the fate of 292 candidates in Sunday's polling. Results will be announced on March 3. The CPI(M) has fielded 57 candidates, while the BJP has fielded 51 candidates leaving the rest of the constituencies for its alliance partner "Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura".

This is the first time when the BJP was in a direct contest in Tripura. In the last polls held in 2013, the CPI(M) had won in a record 49 constituencies and formed the government, while the BJP had contested in 50 constituencies but could not win a single seat.