Agartala, March 01: The ruling CPI(M)-led Left Front in Tripura secured absolute majority, romping home in 31 of the 42 seats, declared so far, leaving far behind its arch rival Congress-INPT alliance with eleven seats. The CPI(M) wrested three seats - Boxanagar, Bagma (ST) and Birganj from the Congress, while the latter wrested Kadamtala seat and the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) wrested Takarjala segment from the CPI(M). In a major setback, Opposition leader Jawahar Saha (Congress) lost his Birganj seat to his CPI(M) rival Ranjit Debnath by a margin of about 3,000 votes, while state assembly speaker Jitendra Sarkar suffered a humiliating defeat to his Congress rival Ashok Kumar Baidya.
Of the 42 seats, declared so far, 28 seats - Manu(ST), Kurti, Pecharthal (ST), Kamalpur, Khayerpur, Simna(ST), Ramchandra Ghat(ST), Rajnagar(SC), Kamalasagar, Pabiachara(SC), Surma(SC) Pratapgarh(SC), Khowai, Fatikroy, Salgarh(SC), Asharambari(ST), Chandipur, Krishnapur(ST), Sonamura Belonia, Dharmanagar, Nalchar, Radhakishorepur, Kanchanpur, Dhanpur, Majlishpur, Sabroom, Salema, were retained by the CPI(M)-led Left Front, while it, wrested Boxanagar, Birganj and Bagma(ST) seats from the Congress.

Chief minister and CPI(M) politburo member Manik Sarkar was re-elected from the Dhanpur seat defeating his Congress rival Dipak Chakraborty by a margin of over 4,000 votes.
Bureau Report