CPM regained control of North Tripura’s Kalagangerpar Panchayat via a coin toss after a political deadlock, sparking BJP protests and chaos. The Panchayat was inactive for months due to internal issues. Police intervened to restore order before CPM leaders took oath under tight security.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, has regained control of the Kalagangerpar Panchayat in North Tripura’s Kadamtala block after a tie-breaking toss decided the fate of the local body. The unprecedented decision came on Monday, following months of political deadlock and administrative paralysis in the region.
The Panchayat had been inactive for several months due to a political stalemate after the previous CPM-led body collapsed. In the last three-tier Panchayat elections, the CPM secured seven seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won six out of the total thirteen. Initially, CPM formed the Panchayat legally and began administration. However, the structure crumbled eight months later when a CPM member resigned, citing internal corruption—bringing development work to a standstill.
To resolve the prolonged impasse, a fresh voting session was held under the supervision of Panchayat Officer Helal Uddin and his two associates. Both the CPM and BJP secured six votes each, resulting in a tie. With no other constitutional method to break the deadlock, the Panchayat officer resorted to a coin toss—a rarely used method in Indian local governance.
The toss fell in favor of the CPM, sparking immediate uproar from BJP members, who rejected the result and launched a vociferous protest. The tense situation quickly escalated into chaos, prompting security concerns. Panchayat officials were unable to proceed for nearly two hours as BJP supporters disrupted proceedings within the Panchayat premises.
The situation was eventually brought under control after the intervention of senior police officials, including the Additional Superintendent of Police, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, and the Officer-in-Charge of Kadamtala Police Station. Under heavy security presence, CPM was officially declared the winner.
Following the declaration, Mamata Begum was sworn in as the new Panchayat Pradhan, while Abdul Basit was appointed Upa-Pradhan. The oath-taking ceremony was conducted with significant security arrangements to prevent further disturbances.
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This incident has sparked debate over the democratic process and the legitimacy of deciding political control through methods like a coin toss. While legally permissible, the move has drawn criticism from the opposition and raised questions about the need for more robust tie-breaking mechanisms in local governance.
As political tempers continue to run high in the region, the CPM’s return to power at Kalagangerpar is both a relief for administrative continuity and a reminder of the fragile state of grassroots democracy in Tripura.
