BJP nominee and Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Debbarma won the Charilam Assembly by-election on Thursday, defeating CPI-M candidate by a record margin of 25,550 votes, official said.
With this, the number of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seats in the Assembly rose to 36 in the 60-member house while its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) has eight seats, taking their total strength to 44 -- more than two-thirds majority.
Elections were held in 59 constituencies on February 18.
Balloting in Charilam was deferred to March 12 after Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) nominee Ramendra Narayan Debbarma died on February 11 due to cardiac arrest.
Returning Officer Samit Roy Chowdhury said Debbarma wrested the seat from the CPI-M, securing 26,580 votes while CPI-M's rival Palash Debbarma got only 1,030 votes. The Congress candidate got 775 votes.
On the last day of campaigning on March 10, the CPI-M withdrew its candidate citing "extremely terrible situation" in the tribal-dominated Charilam area "due to massive reign of terror unleashed by the BJP-IPFT cadres".
The CPI-M has 16 seats in the Tripura assembly.
Five years ago, the CPI-M-led Left front got 50 seats with the leading partner alone securing 49. The Congress bagged 10 seats.
'What has Didi done to Bengal', JP Nadda slams Mamata govt over Sandeshkhali issue
Launching a scathing attack against the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, BJP National President J. P. Nadda said that everyone saw how "anti-social elements" in Trinamool Congress like Sheikh Shahjahan have become a "threat" to the women of Sandeshkhali.
SC to hear on Monday Bengal plea against Calcutta HC order axing 25,753 school jobs
The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday the plea filed by the West Bengal government against the Calcutta High Court's order cancelling 25,753 appointments in teaching and non-teaching posts made by the WBSSC in 2016.
CBI traces shop that sold bullets & cartridges seized from Sandeshkhali
The bills reportedly have Shahjahan’s name as the purchaser. The CBI is now trying to find out who went to the ammunition store to purchase the items.
Crew on seized cargo ship to be released soon, assures Iran Foreign Minister
The 16 remaining Indian crew members on board a cargo ship seized by Iran are set to be released soon, Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian assured his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel in a telephonic conversation on Saturday.
1,500 Sikhs join BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, Punjab
In a significant development, 1,500 members from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, along with Singh Sabha and other Sikh organisations, joined BJP on Saturday, just weeks ahead of Lok Sabha elections in Delhi and Punjab.
TMC writes to ECI complaining about CBI, NSG ops at Sandeshkhali during second phase of polls
The Trinamool Congress on Saturday wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) opposing the CBI and National Security Guard (NSG) raids at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas District on Friday and expressed apprehensions that the central agencies might have 'planted' weapons at the search site to 'defame it' when the second phase of Lok Sabha polls were underway.
2 CRPF personnel killed in attack by armed group in Manipur
Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including a Sub Inspector, were killed and two others have been injured after armed groups attacked a camp of security forces in Manipur’s Bishnupur district early on Saturday, police said.
Land subsidence leaves 350 people homeless in J&K’s Ramban District
Over 350 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K’s) Ramban District abandoned their homes on Saturday after destruction of the houses due to land subsidence.