Agartala, Sep 12 (PTI): The Tipra Motha Party, an ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura, won 1,548 of 4,597 seats unopposed in elections to 587 village committees in the Sixth Schedule areas in the state, an official said on Saturday.
The BJP secured 82 seats uncontested, following the completion of the withdrawal of nomination papers on Friday, he said.
“As many as 1,630 seats will not go to the polls as the Tipra Motha has won 1,548 seats uncontested, while the BJP has secured 82 unopposed after expiry of withdrawal of nomination papers,” said Tripura State Election Commission Secretary Anurag Sen.
He said elections will now be held in the remaining 2,967 seats on September 28.
Altogether, 9, 820 candidates from the Tipra Motha, BJP, CPI (M), Congress and others are still in the fray.
The Tipra Motha has the highest number of nominees at 4,279, while CPI(M) has 2,151 and the BJP has 1,853.
“These victories have strengthened Tipra Motha’s position in the tribal areas ahead of the 2028 Tripura assembly elections. It carries more significance as the party won the general elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in April, said Sekhar Datta, a poll observer.
A strong show in the village committee elections could further strengthen Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma’s bargaining position in the seat-sharing discussions with the BJP ahead of the 2028 assembly polls.
The tribal belts, which constitute two-thirds of the geographical areas of the state, have historically played an important role in determining political power in Tripura.
The Left Front, which governed the state for 25 years till 2018, maintained a strong presence in tribal constituencies, while the IPFT played a key role in the BJP’s victory in the 2018 assembly elections.
In 2023, the emergence of the Tipra Motha with a popular slogan of ‘Greater Tipraland’ has foiled the Left-Congress ambition to defeat the BJP in the state.
