BJP wins 157 of 158 seats in Tripura local bodies bypolls

The BJP in Tripura on Friday registered a massive victory in the bypolls for Urban Local Bodies with the party winning 66 of 67 seats where elections were held on Thursday, the Tripura State Election Commission (TSEC) announced. The BJP won 91 seats uncontested out of 158 seats where elections were due, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb said, thanking the people of the state for the victory. The seats were spread across different municipal bodies and Agartala Municipal Corporation. The only seat that the BJP lost was the Panisagar Municipal Council that went to the CPI(M). 

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb thanked the people of Tripura as he congratulated the winning candidates. "I thank the people of #Tripura for blessing @BJP4India & giving us a massive victory in the Bye-Elections of Urban Local Bodies held in the state. Congratulations to all victorious candidates. Kudos to @BJP4Tripura karyakartas for ensuring this massive victory for the party," he tweeted. 

"Under the visionary leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji and astute guidance of @BJP4India President Shri @AmitShah ji, we shall continue to strive for the development of 37 lakh people of #Tripura," He added.

BJP president Amit Shah congratulated the Chief Minister for the landslide victory. "Congratulations to CM @BjpBiplab, Dy CM @Jishnu_Devvarma and all karyakartas of @BJP4Tripura for the landslide victory in Tripura urban local body polls. I thank people of Tripura for their continued trust in BJP's politics of development under the guidance of PM @narendramodi," Shah said. 

The opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged that there were violent attacks, threats and physical attacks on candidates and forceful withdrawal of nomination. CPI(M) claimed that their candidates could not submit nominations for most seats facilitating the BJP candidates to win without any contest.