Assembly Elections: BJP-IPFT Lead in Close Fight in Tripura; NPP Ahead in Meghalaya

New Delhi: Counting of votes was underway in the three Northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland and seven Assembly by-polls in six states.

As per Election Commission of India (EC), the incumbent BJP-IPFT alliance was leading in 34 seats, while the Left- Congress alliance was leading in 14 seats and the new entrant, Tipra Motha in 11 seats of the 60-member Assembly.

In Meghalaya, the ruling National People’s Party was leading in 24 seats, the United Democratic Party in 8 seats, the Trinamool Congress, Indian National Congress and BJP in 5 seats each, the Voice of the People’s Party in 4 seats apart from some independent candidates in the 59-seat Assembly.

In the 60-member Nagaland Assembly, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, which is in alliance with the BJP was leading in 18 seats, while the BJP was ahead in 12 seats. The Congress was leading in 5 seats, Independents in 5 seats, Naga Peoples Front, Lok Janshakti Party (Paswan) and National People’s party in 3 seats each, the Congress, Republican Party (Athawale) and Janata Dal (United) in 2 each, as per the EC website.

Assembly Bypolls

In the Assembly bye-elections for seven seats in six states, the BJP had won seat in Arunachal Pradesh, the AJSU party was leading Jharkhand, in two seats in Maharashtra, the Congress was leading in one and the BJP in the other, in Tamil Nadu, the Congress was leading in the one seat that went to polls while in West Bengal, too, the Congress was leading.

In TN’s Erode East, Congress' EVKS Elangovan had established a comfortable lead of over 18,000 votes against his nearest rival KS Thennarasu of the AIADMK.

In West Bengal, Congress candidate Bayron Biswas, backed by the Left Front, was leading in the Sagardighi Assembly seat in Murshidabad district.

Biswas was leading by 2,814 votes over TMC candidate Debashish Banerjee.