Agartala, April 09, 2026: Polling in the by-election to the 56-Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in Tripura’s North district recorded an average voter turnout of 52.76 per cent till 1 pm, election officials said on Wednesday.

According to official data, the turnout stood at 15.63 per cent till 9 am, which rose to 33.50 per cent by 11 am, before reaching 52.76 per cent at 1 pm, indicating a steady participation of voters throughout the day.

The bypoll, necessitated following the demise of BJP MLA and former Assembly Speaker Biswabandu Sen, began at 7 am across 55 polling stations in the constituency.

Chief Electoral Officer Brijesh Pandey said the voting process has remained smooth and peaceful, adding that no complaints regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had been received till the afternoon.

Returning Officer Debjani Chowdhury also confirmed that polling has been proceeding peacefully since morning under tight security arrangements.

A total of six candidates are contesting the by-election, including BJP nominee Jahar Chakraborty, Congress candidate Chayan Bhattacharya, CPI(M) nominee Amitabh Datta, SUCI candidate Sanjay Chowdhury, Independent candidate Brajalal Debnath, and Amra Bangali candidate Bibhas Ranjan Das.

The constituency has 46,183 eligible voters, comprising 22,380 male voters, 23,763 female voters, and 924 newly enrolled voters.

Election authorities have introduced special facilities including model polling stations, all-women managed booths, and dedicated pink counters to encourage voter participation. Security has been intensified with deployment of Central Armed Police Forces, Tripura State Rifles, state police personnel, and Quick Reaction Teams to ensure peaceful polling throughout the day.