The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday strengthened its footprint in the Northeast by winning Assembly by-elections in Nagaland’s Koridang and Tripura’s Dharmanagar constituencies.
In Nagaland, BJP candidate Daochier I. Imchen secured victory in the Koridang (ST) seat, continuing the party’s momentum in the state. In Tripura, BJP’s Jahar Chakraborti emerged victorious in the Dharmanagar constituency, defeating rivals from the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The Koridang seat had fallen vacant following the death of veteran BJP leader Imkong L. Imchen. The by-election saw Congress candidate T Chalukumba Ao contesting against Daochier Imchen, son of the late leader. Notably, BJP State Council member Imchainba Jamir withdrew his candidature in favour of Imchen.
In Tripura, the Dharmanagar bypoll was necessitated by the demise of Assembly Speaker and four-time MLA Biswa Bandhu Sen. The BJP fielded Jahar Chakraborti, while the Congress nominated Chayan Bhattacharjee and the CPI(M) fielded Amitabha Datta.
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Polling for the by-elections was held on April 9, with both constituencies recording robust voter turnout. Koridang registered a turnout of 75.06 per cent, the highest among the seats that went to polls, while Dharmanagar saw 70.09 per cent of voters casting their ballots, according to data from the Election Commission of India.
The bypolls were part of a broader exercise across multiple states. Elections were also scheduled in constituencies in Gujarat and Maharashtra, including Umreth, Rahuri and Baramati, where polling took place on April 23, with counting held on Monday.
In Karnataka, polling in Bagalkot and Davanagere South recorded moderate turnout at 54.82 per cent and 49.66 per cent, respectively.
Meanwhile, the proposed by-election in Goa’s Ponda constituency was cancelled following an order by the Bombay High Court.
The bypolls were necessitated largely due to vacancies arising from the deaths of sitting legislators, leading to contests involving major national and regional parties.
The results further consolidate the BJP’s position in the Northeast, a region where the party has expanded its political base significantly in recent years.
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