Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Tuesday reviewed election preparedness with BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT leaders at Manu Dak Bungalow in Dhalai district of Tripura, as the three NDA partners prepare to contest the upcoming Village Committee elections jointly after a decade-long gap.
Key Takeaways
- Ratan Lal Nath chaired an NDA coordination meeting in Dhalai ahead of the Village Committee elections.
- BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT have decided to contest the polls jointly.
- The meeting reviewed gaps and issues remaining after seat sharing among the three alliance partners.
Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath today, on September 22, reviewed the electoral preparedness of NDA partners BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT at a meeting in Dhalai district ahead of the upcoming Village Committee elections.
The meeting took place at Manu Dak Bungalow. It focused on coordination among the three parties and issues that remain after seat sharing. Lal Nath said the alliance’s central objective is to contest the grassroots polls together.
The Village Committee elections carry particular significance because they are being held after a gap of 10 years. Minister Nath said the polls differ from regular elections in their voting process and organisational requirements.
NDA partners to fight jointly
Nath said BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT had followed separate strategies during the recent ADC election. He described that approach as part of the parties’ earlier electoral planning.
For the Village Committee elections, however, the three parties have opted for a joint approach.
“Every party decides its own strategy. The BJP has its strategy, Tipra Motha has its strategy and IPFT has its strategy. This time, however, we have decided to contest together,” Lal Nath said.
He said the decision also reflects the position of the three parties within the state government.
According to Nath, representatives of all three parties are part of the government. Their joint participation in the Village Committee elections is therefore aimed at maintaining coordination at the grassroots level.
Minister points to gaps after seat sharing
The meeting also examined difficulties in some areas following the seat-sharing arrangement among the NDA partners.
Nath said the alliance had identified shortcomings in several places. The Dhalai meeting was intended to review those issues and work toward addressing them before the polls.
“In some places, there are still certain gaps despite the seat-sharing arrangement. We have come here to identify and address those shortcomings,” he said.
The minister did not provide details of the individual seats where such issues had emerged. He said the concerns had been reported and were being examined as part of the alliance’s election preparations.
Minister Nath targets NDA opponents
Ratan Lal Nath also spoke strongly against political parties that oppose the NDA alliance.
He named Congress and CPIM while referring to parties that are against the alliance. He said the NDA’s objective is to prevent forces that oppose its political approach from securing support in the Village Committee elections.
“Our primary objective is that those who oppose the NDA alliance, those who are against the people and the interests of the people of the state, and those who do not support the development of Tripura should not secure a single seat or a single vote,” Nath said.
His remarks framed the upcoming election around the alliance’s development agenda and its political contest with opponents.
Focus on grassroots development
Nath also contrasted different political ideologies during his remarks at the meeting.
He said some political groups follow capitalism while others support communism. The minister said the NDA’s approach is different and focuses on the development of the last person.
“We do not follow such a policy. Our focus is on the development and welfare of the last person,” he said.
The minister linked the alliance’s electoral strategy with its stated emphasis on development and public welfare.
The Village Committee polls are among the most grassroots-level elections in the state. Nath said such elections involve complex processes because of their localised nature.
He also noted a key procedural difference in this election. While voters usually cast ballots through electronic voting machines, the Village Committee polls will use ballot papers.
Leaders attend Dhalai coordination meeting
The meeting brought together senior representatives from all three NDA partners.
BJP Vice-president Tapas Bhattacharya attended the meeting along with IPFT Minister Shuklacharan Noatia and Tipra Motha MLA Paul Dangshu.
MDCs Rabindra Debbarma and Hollywood Chakma were also present.
District and local-level leaders from BJP, IPFT and Tipra Motha joined the discussions as the alliance continued preparations for the Village Committee elections.
With the three parties deciding to contest jointly, coordination between their district and grassroots leadership remains a key part of the election strategy, according to the issues discussed at the Dhalai meeting.
