AGARTALA: Over 76% people in Tripura’s Boxanagar and Dhanpur constituencies cast their votes in the bypolls, and six people were injured in poll-violence on Tuesday.
The voters of both the constituencies of the Sepahijala district came out in good numbers and long queues were seen in front of majority of the polling stations after voting began at 7 am. In all, 93,495 voters, including 45,222 females, were eligible to cast their votes in 110 polling stations.
The day, however, was not devoid of reports of violence. Six people were injured in a clash that broke out at Mohanbhog, a village in Dhanpur, the police informed.
The police told the local press that the injured were alleged thrashed by a mob of villagers, torching property including five motorcycles. The injured have been admitted to hospitals and are out danger.
Adding that the situation in the area was tense from the morning, police informed that they brought the situation under control.
After the news of the clash broke, Chief Minister Manik Saha took a popular social networking website and appealed to the people of the area to maintain peace. “I urge the people to maintain peace during the polling and repeat the precedent of peaceful voting like of last assembly elections,” he wrote.
This year, it is expected to be a head-to-head contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) in both the seats. Earlier, the Congress and the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) had announced that they won’t fielding candidates in this bypolls.
The CPI-M has nominated Mizan Hossain in Boxanagar and Kaushik Chanda in Dhanpur, while the ruling BJP has fielded Taffajal Hossain in Boxanagar and Bindu Debnath in Dhanpur.
The by-election in Dhanpur seat was necessitated after Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik resigned from the Assembly, days after her election from the seat as a BJP nominee. In Boxanagar, the demise of sitting CPI-M MLA Samsul Haque called for the elections.
