BJP's Jahar Chakraborti leads Dharmanagar bypoll by 18,300 votes
Synopsis
BJP's Jahar Chakraborti has opened a near four-to-one lead after two rounds in the Dharmanagar bypoll — a seat the opposition came within 956 votes of winning in 2023. The Left-Congress decision to contest separately this time, rather than repeat their 2023 alliance, may prove to be the decisive tactical error of the campaign.
Key Takeaways
BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborti leads the Dharmanagar Assembly bypoll by approximately 18,300 votes after two rounds of counting on 4 May 2025 .
Chakraborti secured 24,291 votes ; CPI(M)'s Amitabha Datta has 6,001 and Congress's Chayan Bhattacharya has 5,936 .
The bypoll was triggered by the death of sitting MLA and Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen on 26 December last year.
Voter turnout exceeded 80% of 46,142 registered voters , including 23,758 women , in the 9 April poll.
The Left Front and Congress contested separately, unlike their joint arrangement in the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections.
Results are expected to be declared by Monday afternoon after four rounds of counting.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jahar Chakraborti has surged to a commanding lead of around 18,300 votes in the Dharmanagar Assembly bypoll in North Tripura, with vote counting underway on Monday, 4 May at the North Tripura district headquarters. According to Election Commission of India (ECI) data, Chakraborti secured 24,291 votes after the second round of counting, far ahead of his nearest rivals.
Current Vote Tally
After two rounds of counting, CPI(M) candidate Amitabha Datta stood at 6,001 votes, while Congress candidate Chayan Bhattacharya trailed with 5,936 votes. The significant margin reflects a near four-to-one lead for the ruling BJP in the early rounds. Results are expected to be declared by Monday afternoon, officials said.
Counting Process and Security
Vote counting began at 8 am on Monday with postal ballots tallied first, followed by votes recorded on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). A total of four rounds of counting are scheduled in a single counting hall equipped with 14 counting tables, including one dedicated to postal ballots. Each table is supervised by a counting supervisor and counting assistants, with Central observers appointed by the ECI monitoring the process throughout.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Northern Range) Ratiranjan Debnath confirmed that a three-tier security arrangement has been deployed around the counting centre. North Tripura District Magistrate and Collector Chandni Chandran, serving as District Election Officer, and Returning Officer Debjani Choudhury confirmed that Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Tripura State Rifles, and state police personnel were all deployed. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are in effect within a 100-metre radius of the counting centre from 6 am Monday until counting concludes.
Why the Bypoll Was Called
The bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting MLA and Tripura Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen, who passed away on 26 December last year at a private hospital in Bengaluru following a prolonged illness. He was 72 years old. Sen had represented the Dharmanagar constituency four times — twice as a Congress nominee in 2008 and 2013, and twice as a BJP candidate in 2018 and 2023.
Political Context and Historical Significance
The Dharmanagar Assembly constituency has been a stronghold of either the Congress or the BJP since 2008. The CPI(M) last won the seat in 2003, when Amitabha Datta himself was the victorious candidate. Notably, the Left Front and Congress, which had contested jointly under a seat-sharing arrangement during the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections, chose to contest separately in this bypoll — a decision that critics argue may have split the anti-BJP vote.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, Congress candidate Chayan Bhattacharjee, backed by the Left parties, had lost narrowly to BJP's Biswa Bandhu Sen by a margin of just 956 votes. The combined opposition vote then was competitive; the fragmented contest this time appears to have benefited the ruling party. Over 80% of the constituency's 46,142 registered voters — including 23,758 women — cast their ballots in the bypoll held on 9 April, reflecting strong voter turnout. Chakraborti, aged 59, currently serves as the BJP's North Tripura district Vice-President.
With the BJP's early lead looking decisive, all eyes are now on the final round totals and whether the opposition can narrow the gap before the official declaration expected later Monday.
Point of View
If it holds, is less a BJP triumph and more an opposition self-inflicted wound. In 2023, a united Left-Congress front came within 956 votes of taking this seat. Contesting separately in 2025, the two formations have effectively handed the BJP a margin that neither could have conceded alone. For the CPI(M), whose candidate last won here in 2003, the result underscores how far the Left has fallen in Tripura's urban belt. For the Congress, a distant third place raises questions about its independent viability in the state without Left support.
NationPress
4 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is leading the Dharmanagar Assembly bypoll 2025?
BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborti is leading the Dharmanagar Assembly bypoll by approximately 18,300 votes after two rounds of counting on 4 May 2025. He has secured 24,291 votes against CPI(M)'s Amitabha Datta at 6,001 and Congress's Chayan Bhattacharya at 5,936.
Why was the Dharmanagar bypoll held?
The bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting MLA and Tripura Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen, who passed away on 26 December last year at a hospital in Bengaluru after a prolonged illness at the age of 72. The bypoll was held on 9 April 2025.
When will the Dharmanagar bypoll result be declared?
Results are expected to be declared by Monday afternoon, 4 May 2025, after four rounds of counting at the North Tripura district headquarters in Dharmanagar.
Why did the Left Front and Congress contest separately in the Dharmanagar bypoll?
Unlike the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections, where the Left Front and Congress had a seat-sharing arrangement, the two formations chose to contest independently in this bypoll. The decision has split the opposition vote, with both trailing far behind the BJP after the early rounds of counting.
What is the voting history of the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency?
Dharmanagar has been a Congress or BJP stronghold since 2008. The CPI(M) last won the seat in 2003. Biswa Bandhu Sen won it four consecutive times — for Congress in 2008 and 2013, and for BJP in 2018 and 2023.
