The bye-elections to two Assembly constituencies, the Boxanagar and Dhanpur– which began at 7 am this morning saw a voter turnout of over 84 percent with 93,495 eligible voters participating in the electoral process. The elections were conducted without any major untoward incidents reported in the Sepahijala district.
However, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI-M, The CPM demanded repoll in the two constituencies alleging massive rigging. The Communists alleged that their party’s polling agents faced threats and intimidation from ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadres, preventing them from operating in over 50 percent of the 110 polling stations in the two constituencies. Jitendra Choudhury, the CPI-M state Secretary, accused the BJP of engaging in what he called “silent rigging” and criticized both the police and election officials for allegedly overlooking these intimidation tactics.
In response, BJP leaders denied these accusations and insisted that the voting process in both constituencies proceeded smoothly, creating a festive atmosphere.
Taffajal Hossain, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Tripura by-elections, has refuted allegations of involvement in the recent attack on CPI-M cadre Abu Zafar. Hossain maintained that the voting process in both the Boxanagar and Dhanpur constituencies proceeded smoothly, with people participating in a festive mood and no untoward incidents reported.
The accusations of an attack on Abu Zafar had emerged following an incident that occurred last Monday night. However, Hossain denied any involvement in the alleged attack and emphasized that the elections were conducted in a peaceful environment.
Bindu Debnath, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Tripura by-elections, has exuded confidence in securing victory in the polls. Debnath, who has a long history of working as a party karyakarta (worker), expressed optimism about the election outcome.
Highlighting his campaign efforts, Debnath stated, “After the candidate list was announced, I have tried to meet the people of the area, and the response I received from them makes me believe that I will win the seat with a huge margin of votes.”
Of particular note was the direct contest between the ruling BJP and the opposition CPI-M-led Left Front in these by-elections, marking the first time such a contest had occurred in over five years. In an effort to prevent a division of the opposition’s vote share, the Congress and the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), two other major opposition parties in the state, decided not to field candidates in these seats.
The TMP, led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman, took a neutral stance, leaving the choice between the BJP and the CPI-M to the voters and party workers. In contrast, Congress leaders actively campaigned for the CPI-M candidates, aiming to defeat the BJP and secure victory for the opposition INDIA bloc.
The CPI-M nominated Mizan Hossain in Boxanagar and Kaushik Chanda in Dhanpur, while the BJP fielded Taffajal Hossain in Boxanagar and Bindu Debnath in Dhanpur. Notably, Mizan Hossain and Bindu Debnath were first-time election candidates, while Kaushik Chanda and Taffajal Hossain had previously contested the Assembly polls held in February of the same year.
These by-elections were necessitated by the resignation of Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik, a BJP nominee, from the Dhanpur Assembly seat shortly after her election. Similarly, the Boxanagar Assembly seat became vacant following the passing of the sitting CPI-M MLA, Samsul Haque, due to a cardiac attack on July 19.
