Tripura bypoll: Voting begins in Dharmanagar amid tight security and cyclone precautions

Voting for the Dharmanagar Assembly bypoll in North Tripura began at 7 a.m. on Thursday under tight security, officials said. A total of 46,142 voters, including 23,758 women and 22,348 men, will decide the fate of six candidates in the multi-cornered contest.

“Polling for all 55 booths began at 7 a.m. amidst tight security. Voters were seen queuing at various polling centres to exercise their democratic right,” said returning officer Debjani Choudhury. She added that webcasting has been ensured at all booths, along with EVMs equipped with VVPATs, to ensure full transparency.

“An elaborate security arrangement has been made to ensure free, fair, and violence-free voting. In view of a possible cyclone between April 8 and 10, adequate sheds have been set up at all booths,” Choudhury said.

The bypoll has attracted participation from all three major parties—BJP, Left Front, and Congress—each contesting separately. The election was necessitated following the death of Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen of the BJP in December last year.