Massive victory over CPI(M) and Congress; 80.04% turnout in bypoll held after the demise of former Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen
Agartala: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a sweeping victory in the Dharmanagar Assembly by-election, with candidate Jahar Chakraborty winning by a margin of 18,290 votes after all four rounds of counting were completed.
Chakraborty polled 24,291 votes, decisively outpacing his nearest rivals. CPI(M) nominee Amitabha Datta secured 6,001 votes, while Congress candidate Chayan Bhattacharya garnered 5,936 votes. Among smaller parties, Amra Bangalee’s Bibash Ranjan Das received 273 votes and SUCI(C)’s Sanjoy Chaudhury 224 votes, while Independent candidate Brajalal Debnath managed 124 votes. A total of 444 voters chose NOTA.
The by-election was necessitated by the demise of sitting MLA and Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen in December 2025. Polling was held on April 9 and recorded a voter turnout of 80.04%, underlining strong public participation.
Counting took place at PM Shri Dharmanagar Government Girls’ School under strict security arrangements. A three-layer security system, including barricades, fixed pickets and mobile patrols, was implemented under the supervision of DIG Rati Ranjan Debnath, SP Avinash Rai and SDPO Jayanta Karmakar. Section 163 of the BNSS was enforced to prevent gatherings and ensure smooth proceedings.
Following the result, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha thanked voters for their support, stating that the mandate strengthens the government’s commitment to development and stability in the region.
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