In yet another major setback for the opposition Communist Party and the Congress Party in Tripura ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made an easy sweep in the by-elections of Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly constituency to bloom Lotus in the entire Sonamura subdivision of the Sepahijala district.
BJP candidate Tafajjal Hossain who contested against the CPI-M’s Mizan Hossain in Boxanagar assembly constituency got 34,146 votes and swept the elections by 30,237, while his rival candidate Hossain got only 3,909 votes.
On the other hand, the BJP candidate Bindu Debnath bagged the Dhanpur seat, which has a significant tribal population, by 18,871 votes. Debnath got 30,017 votes, and his nearest rival Kaushik Chanda of the CPI-M got 11,146 votes.
The bye-elections, which took place on September 5, witnessed a respectable voter turnout of 86.50 per cent in the two constituencies. The counting was conducted under tight security measures at the Sonamura Girls' School. Total six rounds of counting was conducted in both segments.
Meanwhile, the opposition CPI-M, which faced a major setback ahead of the Lok Sabha elections had boycotted the counting of votes of the by-elections in the 2 seats and accused the Election Commission of failing to address their concerns regarding extensive electoral manipulation. The CPI-M earlier on September 5 demanded countermand of the entire election process and also demanded fresh elections.
The by-polls in Boxanagar were necessitated due to the demise of the sitting CPI(M) legislator Samsul Haque. In Dhanpur, on the other hand, Union minister Pratima Bhoumik, who contested the state assembly elections earlier this year, resigned from the seat days after her election.
Breakthrough in reaching trapped men in Telangana tunnel likely 'very soon'
With the operation to rescue eight persons trapped in the partially-collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district intensified, state Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said a breakthrough in reaching the trapped men could happen "very soon".
Got justice due to PM Modi: 1984 riot victims express gratitude for life term to Sajjan Kumar
Following the recent life sentence handed to former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar for his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, victims' families are still grappling with the pain of a justice system they feel has failed them.
Highway robbers posing as police commandos arrested in Srinagar
A police statement said that Srinagar cops have arrested a gang of robbers, who were posing as police commandos to rob trucks on the highway during night.
TN won’t oppose Hindi if it’s not imposed on us, says CM Stalin
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday reiterated that self-respect is a defining characteristic of Tamils and emphasised that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is not against Hindi unless it is imposed on the people of the state.
Six years of Balakot airstrike when India exhibited zero tolerance policy against Pak-backed terrorism
India on Wednesday marked the sixth anniversary of the Balakot airstrike, carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in response to the deadly Pulwama terror attack.
Grateful nation can never forget his invaluable contribution: PM Modi's tributes to Savarkar on his death anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday led the nation in paying tributes to great freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on his death anniversary.
Kisan Credit Card amount crosses Rs 10 lakh crore, benefits 7.72 crore farmers
Showcasing credit deepening in agriculture and reduced dependency on non-institutional credit, the amount under operative Kisan Credit Card (KCC) accounts has more than doubled from Rs 4.26 lakh crore in March 2014 to Rs 10.05 lakh crore in December 2024, according to the latest government data.
Lakhs of Naga Sadhus, devotees flock to Kashi Vishwanath for Maha Shivratri
Lakhs of Naga Sadhus, saints, and devotees have gathered at the revered Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi to offer prayers to Lord Shiva on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri.