The bypolls to Tripura’s two assembly seats – Boxanagar and Dhanpur – going on Tuesday. Voting started from 7 am and to be continue till 4.30 pm.
In this by-polls direct contest is between the ruling BJP and the opposition CPI(M)-led Left Front after more than five years.
The other two main opposition parties in the state – Congress and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) – have decided not to field candidates on the two assembly seats to prevent division of vote share of opposition parties.
However, TMP leaders led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Burman have announced not to support either the BJP or the CPI(M) in the crucial bypolls, leaving the choice to the voters and party workers.
Tripura State Congress President Ashish Kumar Saha, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and other party leaders campaigned for Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidates in Boxanagar and Dhanpur.
“We have campaigned in both the constituencies to defeat the BJP and ensure the victory of the Indian alliance,” Saha told .
Tuesday’s by-election will be its first electoral battle after the formation of the opposition coalition – the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (India).
Political analysts said that the by-election is a litmus test for the ruling BJP, as there is less division of opposition votes this time.
Top BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Manik Saha, former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik, state BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee and other senior leaders took part in the election campaign in both the constituencies, making the by-election a ‘battle of prestige’.
On the other hand, former Tripura Chief Minister and CPI(M) politburo member Manik Sarkar and party state secretary Jitendra Chaudhary also campaigned extensively for the party candidates.
The CPI(M) has fielded Mizan Hussain in Boxanagar and Kaushik Chanda in Dhanpur, while the ruling BJP has fielded Tafazzal Hussain in Boxanagar and Bindu Debnath in Dhanpur.
CPI(M)’s Mizan Hussain and BJP’s Bindu Debnath are contesting for the first time, while Kaushik Chanda and Tafazzal Hussain had contested the assembly elections held in February this year.
Leader of the Opposition and senior TMP leader Animesh Debbarma had earlier said that they wanted to prevent vote division of the opposition in Tuesday’s by-election.
Debbarma told the BJP retained power in the assembly elections held in February with 40 per cent votes, while the divided opposition parties got 60 per cent votes.
In February, the Left parties and Congress had contested the elections together with a seat-sharing formula, while TMP had contested alone.
The by-election on the Dhanpur assembly seat was necessitated after Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik resigned from the assembly days after being elected from the seat as the BJP candidate.
The Muslim-dominated Boxanagar assembly seat had fallen vacant after the death of sitting CPI(M) MLA Samsul Haq, who died of a heart attack on July 19.
Overall, 93,495 voters, including 45,222 women voters, are eligible to cast their votes to decide the electoral fate of eight candidates, four each on two seats.
Sep 5, 2023 9:38 AM
Voting Going on In Dhanpur Peacefully
Sep 5, 2023 10:01 AM
Voting line in Boxanagar Assembly Constituency
Sep 5, 2023 10:27 AM
18.97 per cent voter turnout was recorded at Boxanagar and in Dhanpur it was 18.71 per cent until 9 am.
Sep 5, 2023 11:17 AM
Union minister Pratima Bhowmik, belongs to Dhanpur Assembly Constituency, casts vote. “Win is certain” said Pratima
Sep 5, 2023 11:28 AM
Boxanagar recorded at 40.49% and Dhanpur recorded 39.48% turnout till 11am
Voting at total 110 polling stations Boxanagar and Dhanpur constituencies in Tripura’s Sepahijala district were recorded at 40.49 percent and 39.48 percent till 11 AM on Tuesday, said an official from the Election Department.
Barring few polling stations, voting started in these two constituencies began at 7 AM.
Sep 5, 2023 12:08 PM
BJP turned the by-polls in to a farce- Tripura Pradesh Congress President Asish Saha
Sep 5, 2023 1:28 PM
The voters turn out in Boxanagar by-election till 1 PM was 61. 61% and in Dhanpur was 59.62%
