The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced its candidates for the April 9 by-elections to Assembly constituencies in Tripura and Nagaland, setting the stage for key electoral contests in the Northeast.
As per the schedule notified by election authorities, the filing of nominations began on March 16 and will continue until March 23. Scrutiny is slated for March 24, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until March 26. The results will be declared on May 4.
In Tripura, the BJP has fielded Jahar Chakraborti from the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency in North Tripura district. A seasoned party functionary and current district vice president, Chakraborti is contesting the seat for the second time, having previously lost in 2013 to Biswa Bandhu Sen, a veteran leader who later joined the BJP and served as Speaker of the Assembly. Sen’s demise in December 2025 necessitated the bypoll.
Chakraborti is expected to face a tough contest from CPI(M)-led Left Front candidate Amitabha Datta. The Dharmanagar constituency has 46,143 eligible voters, including 23,763 women, making it a politically significant seat in the state.
In Nagaland, the BJP has nominated Daochier I. Imchen from the Koridang Assembly constituency in Mokokchung district. He is the son of veteran leader Imkong L. Imchen, who represented the seat for over two decades. The by-election was necessitated following the latter’s death in November 2024.
The Koridang constituency has 22,390 voters, including 11,013 women. The BJP’s Central Election Committee finalised candidates for by-polls across four states at a meeting in New Delhi attended by senior leaders, including Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, and Amit Shah.
