Former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb Wins RS Bypoll

AGARTALA: Former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been elected to the Rajya Sabha, defeating his rival CPM candidate Bhanu Lal Saha in the by election on Thursday.

Deb, the BJP-IPFT consensus candidate had 43 votes at hand while Saha had 15 votes. Outgoing IPFT MLA Brishaketu Debbarma could not vote following his disqualification a couple of days back.

Lone Congress legislator Sudip Roy Barman did not participate in the voting. Minutes after the Election Commission confirmed his victory, Deb thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national BJP president J P Nadda , Tripura's BJP state party leadership and the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT).

State BJP incharge Mahesh Sharma and All India General Secretary (Organization) B.L Santhose were present in the party office.

The Rajya Sabha by-election was necessitated after Manik Saha vacated the seat following his oath as Chief Minister replacing Biplab Kumar Deb in May. Earlier, Manik Saha was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Tripura in April this year. Soon after taking oath as a Rajya Sabha MP, Saha was appointed as the chief minister of Tripura by the BJP.

After assuming charge as Tripura's chief minister, Saha was elected to the Tripura assembly as an MLA from the constituency of Town Bordowali in June.

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