Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha is leading a brisk campaign for BJP candidates in the byelection to two Assembly seats. The election in Dhanpur and Boxanagar constituencies in Sepahijala district is scheduled to take place on September 5.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by other senior BJP leaders, is routinely visiting both the Assembly segments. Dr. Saha is also joining door-to-door campaigns with party candidates.
The BJP nominated Tafajjal Hussain in Boxanagar, a Muslim-majority constituency, and Bindu Debnath in Dhanpur. The latter also has a considerable presence of Muslims as well as tribals.
The resignation of Pratima Bhoumik necessitated an election in Dhanpur and Boxanagar fell vacant due to the death of CPI(M) MLA Samsul Haque. The CPI(M) has won from Boxanagar in all Assembly elections except for one (1988) and Dhanpur was also a Left bastion till it lost to the BJP in the February 2023 election.
The CPI(M) has fielded Samsul Haque’s son Mizan Hussain in Boxanagar and, for Dhanpur, the party has put forward Kaushik Chanda. Both the candidates are concentrating on door-to-door campaigns, but top CPI(M) leaders are to mark their presence in Sonamura subdivision where the two poll-bound segments are located.
Meanwhile, Dr. Saha presided at an election rally at Kulubari in Sonamura on Thursday where over 1,000 people joined the BJP. In his address, he said the bypoll is very important as the vote to the BJP will be an acknowledgement of the development initiatives led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CPI(M) has alleged that the BJP has been using the police to terrorise villagers to attend the BJP induction programme. CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury earlier lodged a complaint over other Model Code of Conduct violations.
The BJP has a thin majority (31 and partner IPFT 1) in the State Assembly and thus the saffron party has unleashed an aggressive campaign to win the byelections.
