The figures for nominations filed for the Village Committee (VC) polls have exposed a widening gap between three-party alliance claims and ground-level electoral calculations in the State. With thousands of candidates entering the race, the BJP, Tipra Motha Party and IPFT now face the task of managing competing claims before the withdrawal deadline.
Key Takeaways:
- A total of 10,936 candidates filed 10,958 nomination papers for 4,597 village committee seats.
- Tipra Motha submitted the highest number of nominations, followed by CPIM and BJP.
- The BJP-Tipra Motha-IPFT alliance filed 4,944 nominations, but its seat-sharing formula remains unclear.
Village Committee elections 2026 have entered a crucial phase after 10,936 candidates filed 10,958 nomination papers on the final day of nomination submission.
The figures indicate a highly competitive contest across the state’s 587 village committees. The elections cover 4,597 seats spread across 52 blocks.
The State Election Commission released the nomination data after the filing process ended. The numbers also offer an early indication of the electoral strength claimed by individual parties.
More importantly, they have raised questions about the seat-sharing arrangement among the ruling alliance partners.
Tipra Motha Leads Nomination Count
The Tipra Motha Party has emerged as the biggest player in the nomination race.
The ruling party in the TTAADC submitted nominations for 4,371 seats. The CPIM followed with 2,487 nominations. The BJP stood third with 1,974 nominations.
The IPFT filed 486 nominations. The Congress entered the contest with 466 nominations.
Another 1,151 nominations came from candidates classified under the ‘Other’ category.
The figures suggest that Tipra Motha has maintained a significant electoral presence across the village committees. They also show that the CPIM remains a major challenger in the rural contest.
Alliance Files 4,944 Nominations
The BJP, Tipra Motha Party and IPFT have joined hands for the September 28 village committee elections.
Candidates from the three alliance partners collectively submitted 4,944 nominations.
However, the figure does not establish the final seat-sharing formula. Candidates from alliance partners may withdraw before the September 11 deadline.
The nomination data therefore presents a snapshot of the contest rather than the final distribution of seats.
The Left Front has submitted 2,491 nominations. The CPIM accounts for 2,487 of these, while the CPI has filed four nominations.
From an individual party perspective, Tipra Motha Party remains ahead of all other parties. CPIM ranks second and BJP third.
Seat-Sharing Still Under Scrutiny
The nomination figures have added uncertainty to the seat-sharing debate within the ruling alliance.
The BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT have projected confidence about their prospects. Yet the basis for distributing seats among the partners remains unclear.
The issue has reportedly generated pressure at the grassroots level.
Local leaders and workers from the alliance partners have been seeking greater representation. They want their respective parties to contest more village committee seats.
With nominations already filed, the withdrawal stage could become critical for resolving these competing claims.
A senior leader familiar with the discussions said candidates submitted nominations because the alliance had limited time to settle the seat-sharing arrangements.
The expectation is that the partners will work towards a consensus before the withdrawal deadline.
September 11 Could Clarify the Contest
The next major date in the election calendar is September 9. Officials will scrutinise the nomination papers on that day.
Candidates can withdraw their nominations until September 11.
This period could significantly alter the current nomination picture. Alliance-backed candidates may withdraw in constituencies where multiple partners have entered candidates.
The final contest could therefore look substantially different from the nomination-stage figures.
For the ruling alliance, September 11 could provide the clearest indication of how the BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT have settled their competing claims.
Polling on September 28
Voting for the village committee elections will take place on September 28.
The votes will be counted on October 5. The State Election Commission plans to complete the entire electoral process by October 8.
The election will test the organisational strength of the major parties across the TTAADC areas.
For the ruling alliance, managing internal competition could prove as important as confronting the opposition.
The BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT will now have to balance alliance unity with the demands of their respective grassroots organisations.
Meanwhile, resentment among sections of BJP workers over seat allocation remains a concern.
The final list of candidates after withdrawals will show whether the alliance can convert its nomination numbers into a coordinated electoral strategy.
