IPFT minister Sukla Charan Noatia expresses dissatisfaction over the NDA seat-adjustment pact for Tripura Village Committee polls, alleging an undemocratic atmosphere, intimidation and lack of a level playing field while claiming the party was denied fair participation across all 587 village committees.
The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), a junior ally of the ruling BJP and a constituent of the NDA since 2018, has expressed dissatisfaction over the seat-adjustment arrangement among the ruling alliance partners ahead of the upcoming Village Committee (VC) elections in Tripura.
IPFT Minister Sukla Charan Noatia on Saturday alleged that an “undemocratic atmosphere” had emerged in some blocks during the run-up to the nomination filing process. Without naming any political party, Noatia claimed that people associated with certain political parties had allegedly been threatened, intimidated and prevented from participating in the electoral process.
“We respect the NDA and since 2018 we have been a constituent of the ruling alliance,” Noatia said, while highlighting the differences between the current VC polls and the previous elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
According to the minister, all NDA constituents had contested the previous TTAADC elections independently. However, ahead of the Village Committee polls, the alliance partners decided to contest jointly, with an understanding that parties would withdraw nominations from selected constituencies as part of the seat-adjustment arrangement.
Noatia said that even after the stipulated period for withdrawal of nominations ended, there was no significant improvement in the situation. He also expressed uncertainty over the exact number of seats where the IPFT would ultimately contest.
The minister said the seat-adjustment arrangement fell significantly short of the expectations of the IPFT. He maintained that the party had expected representation across all 587 village committees but was disappointed with the restrictions it allegedly faced in participating freely and fairly in the elections.
“We expected that party IPFT will have representations in all the 587 village committees,” Noatia said, adding that a level playing field should be ensured for every political party during elections.
His remarks underline growing concerns within the IPFT over the implementation of the NDA’s joint electoral strategy for the Village Committee polls. The party has stressed that political participation should remain free and fair and that all alliance partners should receive adequate opportunities to contest.
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The IPFT’s position comes at a crucial stage of the electoral process, with nomination-related activities already shaping the contest across the state. The party’s dissatisfaction over seat allocation could potentially test coordination among the NDA constituents as they prepare for the Village Committee elections.
