The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) wrested the Boxanagar assembly seat from the Opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) and retained the Dhanpur constituency. The votes polled in the by-polls on Tuesday were counted on Friday even as the CPI(M) announced its boycott maintaining the elections were rigged
BJP candidate Tafajjul Hossain won the Boxanagar seat defeating CPI(M)’s Mizan Hossein. He secured 34146 votes. His party colleague Bindu Debnath won the Dhanpur seat bagging 30,017 while CPI(M)’s Kaushik Chanda managed 11146 votes. Hossein got 3909 votes.
Boxanagar and Dhanpur constituencies recorded 89.2% and 83.92% turnout on September 5. The BJP and CPI(M) were in a direct contest. The TIPRA Motha and Congress did not put up their candidates for the by-polls.
Left Front convener Narayan Kar said they demanded countermanding of the “rigged election” and a fresh polling but the Election Commission of India (ECI) did not budge. He added the ECI’s “motive” is clear“ and therefore, they boycotted the counting of “rigged voting.”
CPI(M) leader Jitendra Chaudhury on Tuesday wrote to the ECI demanding fresh polls while calling the by-polls to the two constituencies a mockery. He alleged the BJP rigged elections in both the constituencies with involvement of a section of police and civil administration through an “ extraordinary terror situation.”Chaudhury accused minister Bikash Debbarma and BJP lawmaker Rampada Jamatia of rallying “ outsiders” to force the voters to either stay away or vote for the ruling party. He demanded Debbarma’s arrest.