BJP announces candidates for by-poll, nomination submission on Aug 17, LF filed nominations

The ruling BJP has announced its candidate names for the September 5 by-polls to Dhanpur and Boxanagar assembly constituencies in Tripura on August 15 midnight.

The party nominated Taffajal Hussain for the Boxanagar Assembly seat and Bindu Debnath for the Dhanpur seat.

Giving details, BJP’s state president Rajib Bhattacharjee on Wednesday said that the central office of the party after its approval by Parliamentary committee has announced names of two BJP candidates for Boxanagar and Dhanpur by-polls.

Taffajal Hussain is a local leader of Boxanagar, while Mr. Debnath is the party's Mandal president in Dhanpur.

Bhattacharjee said that the party leaders and workers will start their massive campaign in all booths of the both constituencies from Wednesday and the party will submit the nomination papers for both constituencies on August 17.

BJP has already started its high-voltage campaigns in favour of BJP candidates for 20-Boxanagar and 23-Dhanpur assembly constituencies on August 16 in presence of the entire cabinet, central party leaders, all MPs and MLAs along with thousands of party workers.

While, on Wednesday both of Left Front candidates Kaushik Chanda from Dhanpur constituency, who was defeated by BJP candidate Pratima Bhowmik in last assembly elections and  Mizan Hussain from Boxanagar constituency, third son former MLA Samsul Haque have submitted  their nomination papers to the Returning Officer (RO) at SDM office of Sonamura after a big rally of the party workers in presence of top leaders.

On Wednesday, Tripura Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha addressing a press conference said that as per the decision of AICC leaders, Congress will not contest the by-polls in Boxanagar and Dhanpur.

He said that top leaders of the party to strengthen the INDIA alliance and to stop the split of anti-BJP votes, will not contest the by-polls. But, Saha did not say anything about their participation in the poll campaign in support of Left Front candidates.

It may be recalled here that By-elections for two assembly constituencies of Tripura including 20-Boxanagar and 23-Dhanpur in Sepahijala district will be held on September 5th next and counting of polled votes will be conducted on September 8th.

The Dhanpur seat fell vacant after the resignation of Union Minister of state, Smt Pratima Bhowmik and the Boxanagar seat remained vacant after the death of CPI (M)'s Boxanagar MLA Samsul Haque in July this year.

In the assembly elections, Smt Pramita Bhowmik secured a total of 19,148 votes and defeated her rival candidate Kaushik Chanda of CPI (M) 3,500 votes. CPI (M) candidate got 15,648 votes, while, Tipra-Motha candidate Amiya Dayal Noatia got 8,671 votes, which has played a crucial role to lose the strong bastion of CPI (M), which was represented by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

The by-elections have been necessitated after senior CPI (M) leader and sitting MLA from Boxanagar assembly constituency, Samsul Haque breathed his last after he suffered a cardiac arrest in the wee hours July 19, 2023 last.  In the 2023 assembly elections, Haque secured a total of 19,404 votes and defeated his nearest rival BJP candidate Taffajal Hossain by 4,849 votes. Taffajal Hossain secured 14,555 votes.