Voting underway for by-polls in Dhanpur and Boxanagar

Voting is underway for the crucial Tripura by-polls to two assembly constituencies of Dhanpur and Boxanagar. At 11.30 AM the poll percentage at Dhanpur was recorded at 39.38% and 40.49% at Boxanagar.

Voting at both the constituencies started at 7 AM.

The Dhanpur and Boxanagar constituencies in Tripura’s Sepahijala district are in for a direct clash with the ruling BJP and the CPI (M), both parties pitted against each other in a pitched battle.

BJP candidate Tafajjul Hossain is contesting from Boxanagar seat against CPI(M) candidate Mizan Hossein while Dhanpur constituency would see a contest between the BJP’s Bindu Debnath and CPI(M) candidate Kaushik Chanda. Besides them, two Independent candidates are also in the fray.

Leading opposition party of Tripura, Tipra Motha, has made it clear that it would not support either the BJP or the CPIM in the bypolls. Opposition leader Animesh Debbarma recently appealed to Motha supporters to “follow their conscience” while voting in the bypolls.

This is, however, notwithstanding the fact that Motha MLAs and senior leaders have campaigned in favour of the CPI-M in different parts of Dhanpur and Boxanagar.

The bypoll in Dhanpur was necessitated after Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik resigned from the Assembly days after her election. The Boxanagar bypoll was necessitated following the death of CPI(M) legislator Samsul Haque.

A total of 93,234 voters — 43,087 in Boxanagar and 50,147 in Dhanpur—are expected to exercise their franchise today.

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