By-Election For Lone Rajya Sabha Seat Starts

The Upper House seat had fallen vacant after the then MP Dr Manik Saha had taken oath as Chief Minister on May 15, a day after the then CM Biplab Kumar Deb had resigned, and later Saha after getting elected in a by-election became a MLA and resigned from the post in June this year to retain his post as CM. To fill the lone Rajya Sabha seat of Tripura the Voting started on Thursday, September 22, 9 AM in the lobby of the Tripura Legislative Assembly.

Bhanulal Saha is repeated by the opposition left front as their candidate, former Finance Minister, and MLA, while BJP nominated formal Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb as their candidate. Earlier this year in the 60-member assembly, Bhanulal Saha had contested for the Rajya Sabha post but secured 15 votes and lost to Dr. Manik Saha who got 33 votes.

After that disqualification of the membership of ruling BJP ally IPFT MLA Brishaketu Debbarma, by speaker Ratan Chakraborty, due to allegations of anti party and under the anti defection law, the total number of voters has reduced to 59. Other then candidates of both parties, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and Opposition Leader Manik Sarkar had casted their vote.

Chief minister Manik Shah after casting his vote, confidently said that the BJP nominated candidate shell win and just waiting for the declaration he also added that he is confident of the BJP returning back to power in the 2023 election with more seats.

Also Read: Biplab Kumar Deb Declared BJP’s RS Nominee From Tripura

On the question of law and order the Chief Minister said that he has instructed the police to strictly see that peace is maintained all across and take stern action against those taking law in irrespective of what their political identity is.

While speaking to the reporters, the Opposition Leader Manik Sarkar said that after BJP-IPFT came to power in 2018, other than the two Rajya Sabha votes including the ongoing by-election the ruling party won all elections by rigging and through violence as BJP has lost the confidence of the people of the state.

Further, Sarkar added that now the public is getting united against the fascist, anti-people rule in Tripura and BJP is going to get an appropriate reply in the coming assembly election.

Till 12.25 a total of 58 MLAs had cast their vote including all voters of the ruling BJP, alliance IPFT and prime opposition CPIM has cast their vote except lone Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and who according to sources is not going to participate in the voting process.