The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Jahar Chakraborty, the party’s North Tripura district vice president, as its candidate for the upcoming Dharmanagar by-election scheduled for April 9.

The by-election was necessitated following the demise of sitting MLA and Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen, which left the seat vacant.

Jahar Chakraborty is closely associated with the region and is the husband of BJP leader Barnali Goswami, a former Chairperson of the Tripura State Commission for Women. Goswami herself hails from Dharmanagar in North Tripura district.

In preparation for the election, a comprehensive review meeting was conducted involving the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and senior officials. The team also inspected the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) strong room located at Dharmanagar Government Girls’ Secondary School.

The meeting was attended by Chief Electoral Officer Brijesh Pandey, Additional CEO Usa Jan Mog, Police Observer S. Siteesh Bino, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) G.S. Rao, North District Superintendent of Police Avinash Rai, District Magistrate Chandni Chandran, and Returning Officer Debjani Chowdhury, along with other key administrative officials.

Speaking after the meeting, CEO Pandey emphasized that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure a smooth electoral process. He stated that the primary focus is to conduct a free, fair, and peaceful election. Security arrangements have been strengthened across all polling stations, with coordination between Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and state police.

Additionally, intensified naka checking and enhanced border surveillance are being implemented to maintain law and order. Officials expressed confidence that, with public cooperation, the by-election will be conducted successfully.