The Tipra Motha Party has secured more than one-third of all seats in upcoming Village Committee (VC) elections in Tripura without facing a contest, with 1,557 candidates elected unopposed after the nomination withdrawal process ended.
Key Takeaways
- Tipra Motha Party has secured 1,557 of 4,597 Village Committee seats in Tripura without a contest.
- The TMP’s uncontested wins account for 33.87 per cent of all Village Committee seats.
- Polling on September 28 will be held for the remaining 2,954 seats across 44 blocks in eight districts.
The Tipra Motha Party (TMP) has secured 1,557 seats unopposed in Village Committee elections, emerging as the largest party among those to benefit from uncontested victories ahead of the September 28 polling.
The TMP’s uncontested tally accounts for 33.87 per cent of the total 4,597 VC seats in the state.
An official of the Tripura State Election Commission (TSEC) said the TMP candidates were declared elected without a contest after the completion of the withdrawal of nomination papers on September 12.
The elections are being held for 587 Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
BJP secures 81 seats unopposed
The ruling BJP has also secured seats without a contest, but its uncontested tally is significantly lower than that of its ally.
The BJP has won 81 seats unopposed. The figure represents 1.76 per cent of the total 4,597 seats.
With the TMP and BJP securing seats without contests, polling will now be required for 2,954 seats.
The voting will take place on September 28 across 44 of the 52 blocks covering eight districts of the State.
TMP has largest candidate presence
The TMP has also emerged as the party with the largest number of candidates remaining in the contest for the seats going to polling.
According to the TSEC figures, 4,279 TMP candidates are still in the fray.
The CPIM has the second-highest number of candidates, with 2,151 nominees. The BJP has 1,853 candidates contesting the remaining seats.
The Congress has fielded 425 candidates, while the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has 356 candidates.
Another 753 candidates are contesting as Independents or candidates of other parties. The CPI has three candidates in the fray.
In total, 9,820 candidates remain in the contest after 1,069 candidates withdrew their nomination papers.
Polling restricted to 2,954 seats
The uncontested victories have reduced the number of seats that will require voting on September 28.
The election originally covers 4,597 seats spread across 2,634 constituencies and 587 Village Committees.
Candidates have already been elected in 1,643 seats without a contest. As a result, voters will exercise their franchise in the remaining 2,954 seats.
The Village Committees are equivalent to Gram Panchayats in areas outside the TTAADC.
The elections are being held after a gap of 10 years, making the outcome significant for local-level political representation in the tribal areas.
BJP-TMP-IPFT alliance in contest
The ruling BJP is contesting the Village Committee elections in alliance with the TMP and IPFT.
The three parties are facing the opposition CPIM-led Left Front and the Congress.
The large number of uncontested TMP victories gives particular importance to the party’s position in the final electoral outcome. However, the September 28 polling will determine the remaining 2,954 seats.
The distribution of candidates also shows the relative scale of the contest. TMP has the highest number of candidates in the fray, followed by CPIM and BJP.
Election campaign marked by allegations
The election process has also been accompanied by allegations of political violence and obstruction from different parties.
Senior IPFT leader and Minister Sukla Charan Noatia alleged that his party’s General Secretary Swapan Debbarma was attacked at Hezamara in Khowai district on September 8.
Noatia alleged that TMP supporters attacked and beat Debbarma while he was travelling towards Khowai village.
He said such incidents were unacceptable, particularly because the BJP, TMP and IPFT are contesting the elections together as an alliance.
The IPFT leader called for an immediate end to political violence and urged party workers and supporters to maintain peace during the election process.
The CPIM and Congress have also alleged that their candidates faced attacks, intimidation and obstruction while trying to submit nomination papers in several seats.
Left Front convener and former minister Manik Dey said the opposition had approached the SEC seeking appropriate action for the smooth conduct of the elections.
He alleged that the commission had not yet taken visible steps to prevent political violence.
With 1,557 seats already secured by the TMP without a contest, the party has established a strong presence in the Village Committee election landscape before polling begins. Voters will decide the remaining 2,954 seats on September 28 across 44 blocks in eight districts. (With inputs from IANS)
