AGARTALA, July 18 (TIWN): Counting of votes cast in the three tier panchayat election started at 8 AM today. Counting of votes cast in the concurrent nagar panchayat and municipal council by-election at Udaipur, Sabroom and Ranirbazaar started in the same timeframe.

Results of the civic body by-election were announced by 1 PM today. CPI (M) candidates emerged victorious in all four seats of the three civic bodies, State Election Commission secretary Tamal Majumder said here today. 
Speaking to reporters here this evening, Majumder said that Debashish Dhar Choudhury won with a massive margin of 548 votes above his nearest Congress contender at Udaipur Municipal Council at seat no 19.
Nibha Basak Dey of CPI (M) won at seat no 7 of Sabroom nagar panchayat by 53 votes above her nearest contender and Congress candidate Uttara Chakraborty. CPI (M) candidate at seat no 5 of Sabroom nagar panchayat Ranjita Roy Mog won with a margin of 70 votes over her nearest contender and Congress candidate Fulu Rani Tripura.
Biswajit Bhattacharya, CPI (M) candidate at seat no 11 at Ranirbazaar nagar panchayat, won by a massive margin of 383 votes above his nearest contender and Trinamool Congress candidate Dulal Debnath. Congress was reduced to third position in the by-election at Ranirbazaar nagar panchayat. 
No violence was reported from anywhere in the state,  State Election Commission secretary Majumder said. He added that counting is expected to continue throughout the night.