CPI(M) hold sway, Congress upstage dy speaker

Agartala, Mar 7 (UNI) The CPI(M) maintained the lead winning eight of the 10 results declared so far in the 60 seat Tripura Assembly, even as the Congress caused a major upset in Sonamura constituency.

Congress's Subal Bhowmik, arguably the richest candidate in fray, upstaged Deputy Speaker and sitting MLA Subal Rudra of CPI(M) from Sonamura constituency 1260 votes.

However, Badal Chowdhury, a veteran CPI(M) leader and sitting state Finance Minister, won from the Hrishyamukh constituency for the fourth term defeating his Congress rival Dilip Chowdhury by 7761 votes.

CPI(M)'s Madhab Chandra Saha caused a major upset defeating erstwhile queen of Tripura and Mahila Congress candidate Bibhukumari Debi by 1260 votes.

Sitting CPI(M) MLA and speaker Ramendrachandra Nath was declared elected from Jubarajnagar seat defeating Congress's Bibharani Nath by 1616 votes.

Other CPI(M) candidates to win were Manoranjan Acharaya from Birganj, Daniel Jamatia from Ampinagar, Samir Deb Sarkar from Khowai, Arun Kumar Dakma from Pencharthal and Lalit Mohan Tripura from Raima Valley.

Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) candidate and former militant Bijoy Hrangkhwal won from the Kulai constituency for the fourth term defeating Sabitri Debbarma of CPI(M) by 115 votes.

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