The Tripura State Election Commission (SEC) will conduct elections across 21 urban local bodies on November 27, with 6,29,903 eligible voters set to choose representatives for 345 seats, while the BJP, CPIM and Congress have fielded 829 candidates collectively.
At A Glance
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A total of 879 candidates have filed nominations for 345 seats across 21 Urban Local Bodies in Tripura.
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The BJP leads with 345 candidates, followed by CPIM with 263 and Congress with 221.
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Opposition parties have no candidates in five municipal bodies amid allegations of intimidation; polling will take place on November 27.
A total of 879 candidates have entered the electoral contest for November 27 Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Tripura, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as the largest contender. The nominations cover 345 seats across 21 urban local bodies in eight districts, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC).
The nomination process ended on Friday (November 6), setting the stage for the next phase of the civic election process. The Tripura State Election Commission (SEC) will scrutinise the nomination papers on Saturday. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until November 10.
The BJP has fielded 345 candidates, while the CPIM has nominated 263. The Congress follows with 221 candidates. The BJP’s ruling alliance partner, Tipra Motha Party (TMP), has entered the contest with 15 candidates. Another 35 candidates are contesting as Independents.
The combined strength of the BJP, CPIM and Congress accounts for 829 of the 879 nominations. The remaining candidates include those fielded by the TMP and Independents.
BJP Faces No Opposition in Five Municipal Bodies
The absence of opposition candidates in five municipal bodies has emerged as a major development in the nomination process.
The BJP remains the only party in the electoral contest in Kamalpur in Dhalai district, Santir Bazar in South Tripura district, and Ranir Bazar, Jirania and Mohanpur in West Tripura district.
No opposition party candidate submitted nomination papers in these five municipal bodies before the deadline.
CPIM and Congress leaders have alleged that ruling party supporters threatened opposition candidates and intimidated their proposers. They claimed that these alleged acts of intimidation prevented opposition candidates from entering the electoral contest in the five civic bodies.
The allegations have raised concerns over the participation of opposition parties in the upcoming municipal elections. However, the available nomination figures show that the BJP has secured a candidate presence across the five bodies where opposition parties failed to field nominees.
Over 6.29 Lakh Voters Eligible to Cast Ballots
The SEC has identified 6,29,903 eligible voters for the November 27 elections across the state’s 21 urban local bodies.
Women constitute the majority of the electorate, with 3,21,743 registered voters. The electoral roll also includes 3,08,115 men and 45 third-gender voters.
The voter figures indicate that women outnumber men by 13,628 in the upcoming civic elections.
The elections will cover all 21 urban local bodies across eight districts of the State. The Agartala Municipal Corporation, the state’s largest urban civic body, is among the key electoral centres.
AMC Accounts for 51 of the 345 Seats
The upcoming elections will determine representatives for 345 seats across the 21 urban local bodies.
The Agartala Municipal Corporation alone accounts for 51 seats, making it the largest civic body in the state in terms of the number of seats covered by the elections.
Of the total 345 seats, authorities have reserved 162 for women. The reservation also includes 80 seats for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and nine seats for candidates from the Scheduled Tribes (STs).
These reservations form part of the overall seat distribution for the urban local body elections.
The SEC official also said that the terms of all 21 urban local bodies, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation, will expire on December 9.
Scrutiny on Saturday, Counting on December 2
With the nomination deadline over, the SEC will scrutinise the submitted papers on Saturday. The November 10 withdrawal deadline will determine the final list of candidates for the November 27 elections.
The polling process will cover all 345 seats across the 21 urban local bodies. After voting, the authorities will begin counting ballots on December 2.
The nomination figures place the BJP ahead of the CPIM and Congress in terms of the number of candidates fielded. However, the absence of opposition nominees in five municipal bodies and the allegations of intimidation by opposition leaders have added a political dimension to the civic contest.
The final candidate list after scrutiny and withdrawal will provide a clearer picture of the electoral contest in urban local bodies across the State. (With IANS Inputs)
