Agartala, April 8 (NationPress) Women voters are poised to significantly influence the electoral outcomes for six candidates in the upcoming bye-election for the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency, located in North Tripura district. Notably, the female electorate exceeds their male counterparts by 1,374 voters, with a total of 23,758 women voters compared to 22,384 male voters, as per the recently released final electoral rolls.

The Dharmanagar Assembly constituency, characterized by a mixed demographic, has historically been a stronghold for either the Congress or the BJP since 2008, with the CPI(M) last securing victory in 2003.

A multi-faceted electoral contest is anticipated for the bye-election scheduled on April 9, as this constituency shares its borders with Assam and Mizoram.

In total, six candidates are competing, including representatives from major political parties, smaller organizations, and one Independent candidate, leading to a highly competitive electoral atmosphere.

Key contenders include Jahar Chakraborti from the ruling BJP, Chayan Bhattacharjee of the Congress, and Amitabha Datta from the CPI(M)-led Left Front.

Datta, a former MLA who previously won this seat in the 2003 Assembly elections, is well-known in the Left party. Jahar Chakraborti, aged 59, serves as the BJP’s North Tripura district Vice-President.

Furthermore, candidates from the Amra Bangalee party, SUCI, and an independent aspirant are also in the running for the bypoll.

The Left Front and the Congress, which had formed a seat-sharing agreement during the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections to jointly challenge the BJP, are contesting independently in this bye-election, heightening the competitive nature of the contest.

Congress leader Chayan Bhattacharjee had previously contested the Dharmanagar seat in 2023 but was defeated by BJP candidate Biswa Bandhu Sen by a narrow margin of 956 votes.

This bye-election was necessitated following the passing of the sitting MLA and Tripura Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen, who died on December 26, 2025, at a private hospital in Bengaluru after a prolonged illness at the age of 72.

Sen had a notable political career, having been elected to the Tripura Assembly four times — twice as a Congress candidate in 2008 and 2013, and subsequently in 2018 and 2023 as a BJP nominee from the same constituency.

Vote counting is scheduled for May 4, following the conclusion of a month-long campaign on Tuesday afternoon.

Prominent political figures, including Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, state BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee, former Chief Minister and veteran Left leader Manik Sarkar, as well as CPI(M) state Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, and Congress Working Committee member Sudip Roy Barman, have spearheaded extensive campaigns for their respective parties.

Election officials and state police have implemented comprehensive measures to ensure the conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections.

An election official confirmed that all polling personnel, along with Electronic Voting Machines and other voting materials, departed for the 55 polling stations on Wednesday. Notably, 11 of these polling stations will be managed entirely by women, while two each will be overseen by differently-abled personnel and youth polling staff.