BJP confident of Dharmanagar bypoll win: Tripura CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party will retain the Dharmanagar Assembly seat in the by-election scheduled for April 9, banking on its candidate’s local connect and organisational strength.

Saha said the party’s central leadership had finalised Jawahar Chakraborty as its nominee, describing him as a long-time BJP worker with strong grassroots ties. “When I used to go to Dharmanagar for party work, I used to go with him on his bike. His family is engaged with the BJP. People of Dharmanagar know him, which is an advantage for us,” he said, adding, “there is no doubt” about the party’s prospects.

The chief minister indicated that the by-election holds strategic importance as the party looks to consolidate its position in the state Assembly. He said the BJP treats every election seriously and is preparing simultaneously for the district council polls that have also been announced. “We have been working on development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With these development works, we will go to the people,” he said.

Referring to the opposition, Saha noted that the CPI(M) has fielded a candidate, while the Congress, which had contested earlier, is “facing trouble” this time. He asserted that the BJP’s candidate selection would give it an edge. “This will not be a problem for us, as we have given a very good candidate, and we will win this seat,” he said.

On the Village Committee elections, Saha said the state had pushed for a separate schedule, citing logistical challenges. He reiterated that holding the Village Committee and Autonomous District Council polls together would create difficulties, and pointed to the monsoon season as a factor.

“We suggested conducting it in September due to the monsoon, which stays till August,” he said, adding that the matter is under consideration by the Supreme Court following queries on the timeline.