Tribal council bypoll victory cheers Congress in Tripura

The party won the Dakshin Dhaniacherra village by-election in the Tripura Tribal Autonomous District Council as its candidate defeated his CPI (Marxist) rival by 16 votes.

The results of the bypolls to the tribal council on Friday has given the Congress something to cheer about in Tripura, where six of its 10 legislators defected to Trinamool Congress only to be poached by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Election officers demonstrate the functioning of an Electronic Voter Verified Paper Machine (VVPAT) during an awareness program at a market place in Agartala on November 21. (PTI File Photo)

The party won the Dakshin Dhaniacherra village by-election in the Tripura Tribal Autonomous District Council as its candidate defeated his Communist Party of India (Marxist) rival by 16 votes. The Congress candidate bagged 197 votes and the CPI(M) nominee managed 181.

The BJP, which appears to have surpassed both Congress and Trinamool Congress to become a major challenger to the ruling Left Front in the state, finished a poor third with 24 votes.

Congress MLA and legislature party leader Gopal Roy said the victory for the Dakshin Dhaniacherra seat, though seemingly small, shows his party may be down but not out.

“This by-election is just the beginning. People still have faith in the Congress and they believe it is the alternative to the Left Front,” he said.

The polling held on November 22 had seen a voter turnout of 95%. The by-election became necessary after the reigning village council member quit the Congress to join CPI(M).