BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborty is heading for a massive victory in the Dharmanagar Assembly bypoll in Tripura, taking a lead of nearly 14,000 votes over Congress rival Chayan Bhattacharya as counting progressed on Monday.
After the third round, Chakraborty secured 18,754 votes, while Bhattacharya polled 4,766 votes, according to Election Commission data. CPI(M) candidate Amitabha Dutta was in third place with 4,371 votes.
Counting began at 8 am under tight security in North Tripura, with all polled EVMs brought to the counting hall as per schedule. A prohibitory order under Section 163 of BNS was enforced within a 100-metre radius of the centre to maintain law and order, officials said. Senior police officers reviewed security arrangements, and adequate personnel were deployed.
Six candidates are in the fray, including nominees from the BJP, Congress and CPI(M), along with others, though the main contest is among the three major parties.
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of former Tripura Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen in December 2025.
The April 9 polling recorded a voter turnout of 79.84 per cent.
Expressing confidence, Chakraborty said the BJP would win by a huge margin, attributing the lead to the party’s focus on peace and development in the state and the constituency.
(With inputs from PTI)