Agartala, Oct 6 (IANS): Ruling BJP’s tribal-based ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP) continued to dominate Tripura’s tribal areas, securing 74.61 per cent of the 4,594 seats in the Village Committees. The elections were held on September 28, with the final results declared early on Tuesday.
According to officials, results for all 4,594 seats in 587 Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) were declared early on Tuesday.
The officials said that counting of votes polled through ballot papers started at 45 centres across the state amid tight security on Monday morning. Of the total 4,594 seats in 587 Village Committees, TMP won 3,428 seats (74.61 per cent), while the BJP bagged 859 seats (18.70 per cent). Their other tribal-based ally, the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), secured 33 seats (0.72 per cent).
The opposition CPI (M) bagged 87 seats (1.89 per cent), the Congress secured 14 seats (0.30 per cent), while Independents won 173 seats (3.77 per cent).
The Village Committees within the TTAADC areas are equivalent to Gram Panchayats in the non-TTAADC and non-tribal areas.
Meanwhile, a total of 4,597 seats were notified for the elections, but 1,644 seats were won uncontested by various political parties, while nominations were not filed for three seats.
Elections were held for 2,950 seats in 587 Village Committees under the TTAADC, which has jurisdiction over nearly two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km area and is home to more than 12.16 lakh people, around 84 per cent of whom belong to indigenous communities.
According to state election commission officials, TMP won 1,557 seats, or 33.87 per cent, uncontested, while the BJP secured 81 seats, or 1.76 per cent, and the CPI (M) managed to win one seat without a contest.
The ruling BJP, in alliance with its two tribal partners — the TMP and the IPFT — contested the elections against the opposition CPI (M)-led Left Front and the Congress.
The Village Committee elections were held after a decade under the directions of the Supreme Court, and are considered significant for local governance in the tribal areas administered by the TTAADC.
The Tipra Motha Party, led by former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, has governed the 30-member TTAADC, comprising 28 elected members and two nominated by the state government, since 2021.
The TTAADC, which has jurisdiction over 52 of the state’s total 58 blocks, came into existence under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution on April 1, 1985, following the 49th Amendment.
Reacting to the Village Committee election results, Chief Minister Manik Saha said the initial results indicated that the people’s mandate would be in favour of the BJP-led NDA, with the TMP and the IPFT as its constituents.
“We are confident the NDA is all set to secure a massive win in the elections to the Village Committees, which will be for the betterment of the state. The present government wants to ensure development in both plains and hills,” he said.
Taking to social media platforms Facebook and X, CM Saha wrote: “Heartiest congratulations to all the NDA-nominated candidates on their tremendous victory in the Village Committee elections. With an impressive mandate, NDA-nominated candidates have won 4,320 out of 4,597 seats.”
“My sincere gratitude to all the voters for their trust, support and participation. This result reflects the democratic mandate of the people and their confidence in the elected representatives,” the Chief Minister said.
Taking to social media, TMP supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma said: “The Village Committee election result will restore the power of the grassroots back to the tribal people. The long struggle in the Supreme Court, which I personally fought to ensure, has restored our constitutional rights. Whichever party wins today, the most important thing is that the people have won. This is the power of Tiprasa (tribals),” he added.
