Agartala, April 9: Voting is currently underway for the by-election in the Dharmanagar assembly seat of Tripura’s North Tripura district, with stringent security measures in place. According to election officials, voting commenced at 7 AM and will continue uninterrupted until 5 PM.
Long queues of voters have been observed at all 55 polling stations since morning. A total of 46,142 voters are eligible to cast their ballots, including 23,758 women. These voters will determine the fate of six candidates.
To ensure a peaceful, fair, and transparent election, the Election Commission and state police have made extensive arrangements. Notably, 11 out of the 55 polling stations are being entirely managed by women. Additionally, two polling stations are operated by differently-abled personnel and two by youth teams, marking a significant step towards inclusive democracy.
The Dharmanagar assembly constituency, bordering Assam and Mizoram, has been a battleground between the Congress and BJP since 2008, with CPI(M) previously winning in 2003. This by-election is expected to be highly competitive, featuring six candidates.
Key candidates include Jahar Chakraborty from the ruling BJP, Shylo Bhattacharya from Congress, and Amitabh Dutta from the CPI(M)-led Left Front. Dutta is a former MLA who won this seat in 2003. The 59-year-old Chakraborty currently serves as the BJP’s North Tripura district vice president. The contest is further intensified by the presence of candidates from the Amra Bengali Party, SUCI, and an independent candidate.
It is noteworthy that in the 2023 assembly elections, the Left Front and Congress united against the BJP. However, in this by-election, they are competing separately. Bhattacharya had previously contested from this seat in 2023 but lost to BJP’s Biswabandhu Sen by a mere 956 votes.
This by-election is being held following the demise of MLA and Tripura Assembly Speaker Biswabandhu Sen, who passed away on December 26, 2025, at the age of 72 in a private hospital in Bengaluru. He served as an MLA four times, winning on Congress tickets in 2008 and 2013, and on BJP tickets in 2018 and 2023.
Vote counting will take place on May 4, with results to be announced thereafter.
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