Counting for the TTAADC Village Committee elections continued across Tripura on October 5 after polling held on September 28, with poll results declared for 4,281 of 4,594 seats so far and Tipra Motha emerging as the dominant force amid reports of tension at several counting centres.
Key Takeaways
- Tipra Motha won 3,254 of the 4,281 seats for which results were declared by 10 pm.
- BJP secured 755 seats, while Independents won 162, CPIM 71, IPFT 29 and Congress 10.
- Counting saw tension in parts of Sepahijala, Dhalai and Khowai, where one person died following a stampede-like situation.
Tipra Motha strengthened its position in the TTAADC Village Committee elections on Monday, winning 3,254 of the 4,281 seats whose results had been declared by 10 pm tonight (October 5), while the BJP remained a distant second with 755 seats.
Seat-Sharing Breakdown:
- TMP: Dominating the polls by a massive margin, securing 3,254 seats.
- BJP: Secured the second position with 755 seats.
- Independent Candidates: Performance stood strong at 162 seats.
- CPIM: Secured 71 seats.
- IPFT: Secured 29 seats.
- INC: Secured 10 seats.
- Other Parties (AIFB, CPI, CPI(ML)L, RSP): Won 0 seats each.
Three seats were reportedly vacant.
Counting began at 8 am at 45 venues across the state. Authorities arranged 44 counting halls and deployed around 2,000 personnel for the exercise.
A senior State Election Commission official said counting could continue until Tuesday morning at centres handling a larger number of Village Committees. Other centres were expected to complete the process by Monday evening.
Tension reported in several districts
Counting remained peaceful at several locations, but parts of Sepahijala and Dhalai districts witnessed tension and violence.
A serious incident occurred at Tulashikhar in Khowai district after a confrontation outside a counting centre. Police and Central Armed Police Forces personnel resorted to a lathi-charge.
Local sources said a group allegedly tried to remove security barricades and move towards the counting premises.
Around 10 to 12 people, including women, were reportedly injured and taken to Khowai district hospital.
Authorities later confirmed the death of Matilal Karmakar following a stampede-like situation at Tulashikhar. Senior Tipra Motha leaders in Khowai identified Karmakar as an active party worker.
Political tension in Sepahijala
In Kathalia block of Sepahijala district, tension was reported at Poly Bari Class XII English Medium School.
Counting was under way for five ADC-based Village Committees at the centre.
Local inputs said Tipra Motha supporters allegedly blocked roads leading to the venue. They also allegedly prevented supporters of other parties from reaching the premises.
Leaders of several political parties subsequently staged a protest outside Jatrapur police station.
Sepahijala Superintendent of Police Bijoy Debbarma was present at Jatrapur, according to local inputs.
CPIM alleges agents were stopped
A separate dispute emerged in Salema block. CPIM workers and supporters blocked a road at Maharani after alleging that their counting agents were prevented from entering the Maharani High School counting centre.
The party also alleged that the identity cards of its agents were snatched.
Counting continues in West Tripura
At Mandai RD Block in West Tripura district, officials were counting votes for 57 seats covering 15 Village Committees. State police and central forces remained deployed at the counting centre.
Counting at Mungiakami RD Block began peacefully.
Results from six seats where BJP and Tipra Motha candidates directly faced each other showed Tipra Motha winning four seats. BJP-backed candidates won the remaining two.
TTAADC MDC and Tipra Motha leader Utpal Debbarma said polling and counting in Mungiakami remained peaceful. He also called for greater focus on development.
Tribal Welfare Minister and BJP MLA Bikash Debbarma described the counting process as peaceful. He termed the contests between BJP and Tipra Motha candidates a “friendly fight”.
Polls held after a decade
The Village Committee elections took place on September 28 after a gap of 10 years.
The state recorded an overall voter turnout of 81.21 per cent.
The State Election Commission ordered repolling at three polling stations covering two Village Committees on October 3.
The counting process continued on Monday as the final results across the remaining seats were awaited.
