Agartala, 9th April 2026 : The by-election for the Dharmanagar Assembly Constituency in North Tripura concluded smoothly on Thursday, recording an impressive voter turnout of 80.04%.
Polling began at 7 a.m. and continued uninterrupted until 5 p.m., with no reports of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctions or any untoward incidents.
The by-election was necessitated following the demise of sitting BJP MLA and Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Biswabandu Sen.
Returning Officer Debjani Chowdhury confirmed that voting was successfully completed across most polling stations, describing the entire process as peaceful and efficiently managed.
“The polling process was conducted seamlessly, with no procedural issues reported throughout the day,” she stated.
A total of six candidates contested the election, representing a diverse political spectrum. These include Jahar Chakraborty (BJP), Chayan Bhattacharya (Congress), Amitabh Datta (CPI-M), Sanjay Chowdhury (SUCI), independent candidate Brajalal Debnath, and Bibhas Ranjan Das (Amra Bangali).
The constituency comprises 46,183 registered voters, including 22,380 men, 23,763 women, and 924 first-time voters. To facilitate the electoral process, 55 polling stations were established. Among these, 11 were designated as model polling stations, while another 11 were exclusively managed by women polling personnel—highlighting a commendable step toward inclusive participation. Special “pink counters” were also set up to support women election staff.
Security arrangements were robust, ensuring a safe voting environment. North District Superintendent of Police Avinash Rais confirmed that the election remained entirely peaceful. Personnel from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Tripura State Rifles, and Tripura Police were deployed at all polling stations, along with Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) to handle any emergencies.
Overall, the Dharmanagar by-election stood out as a well-organized and incident-free democratic exercise, reflecting strong voter participation and effective administrative coordination.
