BJP sweeps Tripura panchayat bypolls, wins 113 of 130 seats; ally IPFT bags nine

Agartala: The ruling BJP swept the panchayat by-election in Tripura by winning 113 out of 130 gram panchayat seats, State Election Commissioner GK Rao said on Wednesday. The BJP also won five out of the seven panchayat samiti seats, he said. The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of BJP won nine gram panchayat seats, the SEC said. [caption id=“attachment_5252501” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The Opposition Congress and CPM won four gram panchayat seats respectively, Rao said. The by-election for the 132 gram panchayat seats and seven panchayat samity seats was held on 30 September. The state election commission declared for re-polling in two gram panchayat seats in Khowai block of Khowai district on 5 October and results would be announced on 7 October, Rao said. On 1 September, the State Election Commissioner had announced by-elections in 3,207 gram panchayats seats, 161 panchayat samiti seats and 18 seats of Zilla Parishad. The by-election was necessitated as large number of panchayat samiti members resigned after the BJP-IPFT government assumed office on 3 March. BJP won in over 96 percent of the seats where by-election was announced without contest as Opposition parties did not file any nomination papers in those seats, officials said.