Dharmanagar bypoll vote count: Three-tier security deployed in North Tripura
Synopsis
With 80 per cent voter turnout and a fractured opposition contesting separately after a prior alliance, the Dharmanagar bypoll count on 5 May is more than a routine exercise — it is a test of whether the BJP can hold a seat it won by just 956 votes in 2023, and whether a split Left-Congress vote hands it a comfortable margin or opens the door to an upset.
Key Takeaways
Vote counting for the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency bypoll is scheduled for 5 May in North Tripura district.
A three-tier security setup comprising CRPF , Tripura State Rifles , and state police has been deployed at the counting centre.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS are in effect within a 100-metre radius of the centre from 6 am on 4 May .
Votes from 55 EVMs will be counted across four phases at 14 counting tables .
Around 80% of 46,142 registered voters, including 23,758 women , cast their ballots on 9 April .
The bypoll was triggered by the death of Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen on 26 December last year; key contenders are BJP's Jahar Chakraborti , Congress's Chayan Bhattacharjee , and CPI-M's Amitabha Datta .
A three-tier security arrangement has been put in place ahead of the counting of votes for the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency bypoll in North Tripura district, scheduled for Monday, 5 May, officials said. The bypoll was held on 9 April, with around 80 per cent of the 46,142 registered voters turning out — a figure that has heightened the stakes for all six candidates in the fray.
Security Arrangements at the Counting Centre
North Tripura District Magistrate and Collector Chandni Chandran, who is also the District Election Officer, along with Returning Officer Debjani Choudhury, confirmed that personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Tripura State Rifles, and the state Police would be deployed in adequate numbers in and around the counting centre. The three-tier deployment is designed to ensure the process remains orderly and tamper-free.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) within a 100-metre radius of the counting centre, effective from 6 am on 4 May until the conclusion of counting. Under the restrictions, movement of vehicles, public gatherings, and carrying of weapons have been prohibited. Officials on duty, security personnel, and emergency services are exempted from the order.
Counting Logistics
Choudhury, who also serves as Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Dharmanagar Sub-Division, said that 14 counting tables have been set up at the district headquarters. Votes recorded across 55 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be tallied in four phases. The District Magistrate had already held several review meetings to make the counting process foolproof, officials added.
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. Sen had represented the Dharmanagar seat four times — twice as a Indian National Congress (Congress) candidate in 2008 and 2013, and subsequently in 2018 and 2023 as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee.
Key Candidates and Political Context
The Dharmanagar constituency has been a stronghold of either the Congress or the BJP since 2008, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front last winning the seat in 2003. Six candidates are contesting, making this a multi-cornered and highly competitive battle. The principal contenders are Jahar Chakraborti of the BJP — currently the party's North Tripura district Vice-President, aged 59 — Chayan Bhattacharjee of the Congress, and Amitabha Datta of the CPI-M-led Left Front, who had won the seat in the 2003 Assembly elections.
Notably, the Left Front and the Congress, which had entered into a seat-sharing arrangement during the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections to jointly challenge the BJP, are contesting separately this time. Bhattacharjee had previously contested the Dharmanagar seat in 2023 with Left support but lost narrowly to Sen by a margin of 956 votes. Candidates from the Amra Bangali party, the Socialist Unity Centre of India-Communist, and an Independent aspirant are also in the fray, further intensifying the contest.
With voter turnout at approximately 80 per cent and the opposition contesting separately after a prior alliance, the result is being closely watched as a gauge of political sentiment in North Tripura ahead of future state-level elections.
Point of View
Who allied in 2023 and still lost by only 956 votes, are now contesting separately — a decision that could gift the BJP a wider margin regardless of ground sentiment. The 80 per cent turnout signals genuine voter engagement, but without a unified opposition, high turnout alone may not translate into a challenge to the ruling party. The real story here is not security logistics; it is whether the opposition's strategic miscalculation hands the BJP an unearned consolidation in a constituency it has held by a thread.
NationPress
4 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Dharmanagar bypoll vote counting scheduled?
The counting of votes for the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency bypoll is scheduled for Monday, 5 May 2025, at the district headquarters in North Tripura. Votes from 55 EVMs will be counted across four phases at 14 counting tables.
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 in Bengaluru at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness. Sen had won the seat four times, most recently as a BJP candidate in 2023.
Who are the main candidates in the Dharmanagar bypoll?
The principal candidates are Jahar Chakraborti of the BJP, Chayan Bhattacharjee of the Congress, and Amitabha Datta of the CPI-M-led Left Front. Candidates from the Amra Bangali party, the Socialist Unity Centre of India-Communist, and an Independent aspirant are also contesting.
What security measures are in place for the vote count?
A three-tier security arrangement comprising CRPF, Tripura State Rifles, and state police personnel has been deployed at and around the counting centre. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS are in force within a 100-metre radius from 6 am on 4 May until counting concludes.
How much voter turnout was recorded in the Dharmanagar bypoll?
Around 80 per cent of the 46,142 registered voters, including 23,758 women, cast their ballots during the Dharmanagar bypoll held on 9 April 2025. The high turnout has made the result keenly anticipated across all major political parties.
