ECI schedules Dharmanagar (Tripura) and Koridang (Nagaland) by-elections for April 9. Discover the political impact in Tripura and Nagaland following the death of veteran leaders.
Agartala/Kohima Mar 15: For the first time in almost two decades, a poll for Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in the North Tripura will be held in absence of local heavyweight politician late Biswa Bandhu Sen.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday officially sounded the bugle for the Dharmanagar Assembly by-election. The by-election to the Dharmanagar Assembly Constituency in Tripura will be held on April 9. The results will be declared on May 4. The schedule was announced on Sunday by the Election Commission of India.
The seat fell vacant after the death of former Tripura Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen. Therefore, a by-poll has been scheduled.
The announcement was made by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. At the same time, the election schedule for Assembly polls in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal was also unveiled. Elections in the Union Territory of Puducherry were also announced.
The contest is already shaping up to be more than just a filling of a vacancy—it is a battle for the legacy of a four-term veteran in a town that has served as a strategic gateway for Tripura’s shifting political allegiances.
The Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in North Tripura district became vacant following Sen’s demise. He passed away on December 26, 2025. The death occurred at a private hospital in Bengaluru. He had been undergoing treatment for more than four months.
Sen, aged 72, had served four terms in the Tripura Assembly. First, he was elected in 2008 from Dharmanagar. Later, he retained the seat in 2013. On both occasions, he had contested as a candidate of the Indian National Congress.
Subsequently, he won again in 2018 and 2023. This time, the victories were secured on the ticket of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The upcoming by-elections in Dharmanagar (Tripura) represent a significant “changing of the guard” in the local politics. Biswa Bandhu Sen shared a unique political trait: the ability to maintain their personal strongholds while transitioning across party lines (specifically from Congress to the BJP).
In Dharmanagar, the BJP faces the challenge of retaining a seat that Sen won for them in 2018 and 2023. With the Left Front already fielding Amitabha Datta, the ruling party must now prove that their “Double Engine” narrative can outlast the personal charisma of the late Speaker.
However, candidates are yet to be announced by the ruling BJP, Congress and other political parties.
In addition, polling will also take place in the Koridang Assembly Constituency in Nagaland. Notably, this seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates.
In Nagaland, the by-election to the Koridang seat was necessitated following the death of veteran Naga leader Imkong L. Imchen.
He passed away on November 11, 2024. The death occurred at a private hospital in Guwahati after a brief illness.
Imchen, 75, had represented the Koridang constituency five times. Initially, the seat was won as an Independent candidate in 2003. Later, victories were secured in 2008, 2013 and 2018 on the ticket of the Naga People’s Front. Finally, the seat was won again in 2023 as a candidate of the BJP.
The by-poll in Dharmanagar will heighten political activities in Tripura as the State is gearing up for the TTAADC polls. (With IANS inputs)