Agartala, March 2 The BJP surged ahead of the Opposition CPI-M-Congress, winning 28 (of total 60 seats) and leading in four seats as the counting of votes in Tripura was underway on Thursday, almost ensuring itself a second consecutive term.
The counting of votes was underway at 21 locations across the state under tight security measures. The election was held on February 16.
According to the latest trends and announcements of results, the tribal-based Tipra Motha Party (TMP), which for the first time contested the Assembly election in 42 seats, won 12 seats and had secured a lead in one seat.
The CPI-M won six seats and was leading in five seats, while the Congress won two seats and was ahead in one seat.
The candidate of BJP ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) won the Jolaibari seat in southern Tripura.
All the top BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Manik Saha and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma were re-elected from Town Bordowali and Charilam seats, respectively.
BJP candidate and Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik elected to the state assembly for the first time from Dhanpur seat while state ministers Rampada Jamatia (Bagma seat), Sushanta Chowdhury (Majlishpur), Ratan Lal Nath (Mohanpur), Ram Prasad Paul (Surjyamaninagar), state assembly speaker Ratan Chakraborty (Khayerpur), Surajit Datta (Ramnagar) were re-elected to the state assembly.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidates either won or were leading in 11 seats, including Pratapgarh, Khowai, Kadamtala-Kurt, Sabroom, Sonamura, Bamutia, Hrishamukh, Jubarajnagar, Belonia, Boxanaga and Barjala.
Among the important CPI-M candidates leading are state party Secretary Jitendra Chowdhury (Sabroom seat), Sudip Sarkar (Barjala), Dipankar Sen (Belonia), Shyamal Chakraborty (Sonamura).Congress, which contested the February 16 Assembly elections in seat sharing adjustments with the Left parties, won the Agartala and Kailashahar seats and leading in Banamalipur seat.
The Congress candidates leading in the counting of votes include Sudip Roy Barman in Agartala seat, Gopal Chandra Roy in Banamalipur seat and state Congress President Birajit Sinha in Kailashahar seat.
Among the important TMP candidates who won their seats include Chitta Ranjan Debbarma (Ambassa seat), Pathan Lal Jamatia (Ampinagar), Animesh Debbarma (Asharambari) and Paul Dangshu (Karamchara).
In the February 16 elections to the 60-seat Tripura Assembly, 89.95 per cent of the 28.14 lakh voters exercised their franchise and will decide the fate of 259 candidates, including 31 women.
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