Counting of votes for Tripura assembly bypolls begins

The bypolls were held in four assembly constituencies in Tripura-Agartala, Town Bordowali, Surma and Jubrajnagar— recording 78.58% voter turnout

The counting of votes for four assembly constituencies in Tripura that went for bypolls on Thursday started on Sunday amidst tight security.

The bypolls in Tripura were necessitated after three BJP legislators switched sides and one CPI(M) MLA died. (Representative Image)

The bypolls held in the four constituencies -Agartala, Town Bordowali, Surma and Jubrajnagar—had recorded 78.58% voter turnout.

According to the Election Commission of India, 77.35% votes were cast in Agartala seat while Town Bordowali recorded 71.13% and Surma and Jubrajnagar recorded 83.11% and 83.12% respectively.

The bypolls were necessitated after three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators-- Sudip Roy Barman, Asish Kumar Saha and Asish Das—switched sides and Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), legislator Ramendra Chandra Nath died.

Roy Barman and Asish Saha joined the Congress and contested from their home turfs, Agartala and Town Bordowali constituencies in the by-polls. Asish Das initially joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and later quit the party.

The bypolls passed off peacefully barring a few incidents where a cop was stabbed and some people and one media person faced atrocities by political miscreants.

Both the CPI(M) and the Congress demanded repolls at several polling booths alleging violence triggered by the ruling party cadres during the polling. However, the BJP dismissed the allegations as baseless.