AGARTALA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the Tripura by-elections acquiring both assembly constituencies in the region. Not only did the party successfully retain its position in Dhanpur, but it also managed to wrest the Boxanagar seat from the clutches of the CPI(M).
The Saffron party’s Tafajjal Hossain emerged victorious in Boxanagar, a constituency with approximately 66% minority voters, with a commanding margin of 30,237 votes. Hossain accumulated 34,146 votes in total, leaving his closest competitor, Mizan Hossain of the CPI(M), with a mere 3,909 votes.
In Dhanpur, a region known for its significant tribal population, the BJP badge of honour was worn by Bindu Debnath, who secured the seat by a difference of 18,871 votes. While Debnath garnered 30,017 votes, her nearest rival, Kaushik Chanda of the CPI(M), managed 11,146 votes.
This recent by-election marked the Saffron party’s first-time win in the Dhanpur seat, a feat achieved during the assembly polls conducted seven months earlier. The triumphs have bolstered the BJP’s standing in the 60-member assembly, pushing its count to 33.
However, the elections were not devoid of controversy. The CPI(M), on Wednesday, boycotted the vote counting, raising accusations of widespread rigging during the polling process.
“From the start of polling, we had alerted the Election Commission about the discrepancies. Regrettably, our concerns were unheeded, and no measures were taken to address the rampant rigging,” Left Front convenor Narayan Kar told the press. The Left Front’s demand for the cancellation of the election and a call for fresh polls was dismissed by the Election Commission.
The by-elections, held on Tuesday in Sepahijala district, witnessed an impressive average turnout of 86.50%. Boxanagar’s by-election was a result of the unfortunate demise of CPI(M) MLA Samsul Haque, while the Dhanpur by-election followed the resignation of Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik from her MLA position.
