October 03, 2018: The ruling BJP swept the three tier Panchayat bypolls for the vacant seats, bagging 113 Gram Panchayat seats, officials said.
Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) – BJP’s ally –secured second position winning in nine seats in Gram Panchayats, Tripura State Election Commission (TSEC) officials said.
Both the CPI-M and Congress won four seats each.
The BJP also won five Panchayat Samiti seats while the CPI-M managed only two seats.
The by-elections to 3,386 seats – 3,207 Gram Panchayat seats, 161 Panchayat Samiti seats and 18 Zilla Parishad seats – were scheduled for September 30, but polling was held in only 130 Gram Panchayat and seven Panchayat Samiti seats in 11 blocks. BJP candidates won over 96 per cent of the seats uncontested.
BJP leaders welcomed the by-poll results and thanked people. The leaders of CPI-M said, the by-poll results – even at limited way – demonstrate anti-BJP mood of people due its undemocratic steps. CPI-M also thanked people wherever CPI-M candidates won the by-polls.