Congress renominates Chayan Bhattacharjee from Dharma Nagar assembly constituency

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, March 19, 2026

As announced earlier the Congress in Tripura has renominated Chayan Bhattacharjee as the party candidate for the upcoming by-election to Dharma Nagar assembly constituency . Acting on recommendation made by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), the AICC president and octogenarian leader Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Chayan Bhattacharjee and this was announced in a press note issued today bearing signature of the AICC general secretary K.C.Venugopal.

Shortly after the by-election to the Dharma Nagar assembly seat, vacated by the death of late speaker Bishwabandhu Sen, had been announced, the CPI (M) unilaterally announced the nomination of their party leader and former three-time MLA (1993-2003) as candidate for thy by-poll without any consultation with the Congress that had contested the seat in 2023 assembly polls by putting up Chayan Bhattacharjee as the candidate . The CPI (M) state secretary and politburo member Jiten Chowdhury justified the decision on the ground that Congress hardly have any organizational strength in the Dharma Nagar constituency and in the assembly polls of 2023 fifty of altogether 60 polling booths had to be manned by CPI (M) cadres as polling agents .

But the senior Congress leader Sudip Roybarman went ballistic over the issue, describing this as breach of alliance and pointing out that Chayan Bhattacharjee as Congress candidate had lost the seat by only 1098 votes against Bishwabandhu Sen. Sudip had also called upon the CPI (M) to withdraw its candidature and had threatened to put up Congress candidate for the by-election . Since the matter remained unresolved the PCC recommended the nomination of Chayan Bhattacharjee and it was accepted by the party high command. However, despite many adverse factors both the CPI (M) and Congress are hopeful of performing well in the by-election and winning the Dharma Nagar seat.

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