The results of the bye-election to 13-Simna-Tamakari (ST) ADC constituency were declared on August 26. Left Front sponsored CPI(M) candidate Kumude Debbarma won the election defeating his nearest IPFT candidate with a margin of 582 votes.  While CPI(M) candidate raised the percentage of votes by 5.61 percent from the last year’s general election in 2015, similarly , IPFT, the main contender with overt and covert support from all the other opposition parties, could manage increase of his vote about 5.32 percent than that of last year.  From the results shown below, it transpires that all the opposition parties transferred their votes in favour of the IPFT candidate whose main poll plank was the demand for creating a ‘separate state’ carving out the existing AATTDC areas from Tripura. While Trinamul Congress had openly extended its support to the IPFT,  BJP during the election campaign has abruptly withdrawn their candidate in favour of them in this election.
 
However, this victory, though with a small margin, carries huge significance in the state political scene as the opposition parties treated this as a trial-run to combat the Left front, targeting the elections to the Tripura legislative assembly scheduled in February, 2018.
 
Apart from the Simna-Tamakari constituency areas, Left, democratic and peace-loving masses are celebrating this victory throughout the state.  In the background of highly tense days the people of the state had to pass since August 23 when IPFT showed their fangs in Agartala town to vitiate the prevalent fraternal relations among tribals and Bengalis and minorities,    this electoral victory provided them a sigh of relief, though they are very much aware that they have no room to sit idle.