HT Correspondent
AGARTALA, Sept 3: Rajib Bhattacharjee, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura, has been elected as the state’s sole representative in the Rajya Sabha, securing his seat with 47 votes. The election for the Rajya Sabha seat in Tripura commenced at 9 AM and concluded at 5 PM on Tuesday.
Following his victory, Bhattacharjee expressed his gratitude to the 57 MLAs who cast their votes, particularly those from the BJP, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), and Tipra Motha, who supported his candidacy.
“I extend my thanks to the MLAs of BJP, IPFT, and Tipra Motha for electing me to represent Tripura in the Rajya Sabha. I also want to acknowledge the trust placed in me by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President JP Nadda,” Bhattacharjee stated.
He emphasised his commitment to the development of Tripura, noting that he would raise critical issues concerning the state’s progress in Parliament. “My focus will be on ensuring the development of Tripura. I am dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by the people and will work closely with both the state and central governments,” he said.
Earlier in the day, chief minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha had expressed confidence in Bhattacharjee’s victory, asserting that the BJP candidate’s win was certain.
In Tripura’s 60-member Assembly, the BJP holds 33 seats, its ally IPFT has one, Tipra Motha has 13, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has 10, and the Congress has 3. The CPI(M) had fielded former MLA Sudhan Das as their candidate for the Rajya Sabha election.
