A total of 879 candidates have filed nominations for Tripura’s November 27 civic elections across 21 Urban Local Bodies. The BJP leads with 345 candidates, followed by CPI-M and Congress, while opposition parties allege intimidation in five municipal bodies.
A total of 879 candidates from different political parties and independent groups have filed nomination papers for the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Tripura, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as the largest contestant with 345 candidates.
The civic elections are scheduled to be held on November 27 across 21 Urban Local Bodies in the state’s eight districts, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC). Friday was the final day for filing nomination papers, while November 10 has been fixed as the deadline for withdrawal of candidature.
According to a senior official of the Tripura State Election Commission (SEC), scrutiny of the nomination papers will be conducted on Saturday. The official also provided details of the party-wise nominations received during the election process.
Of the total 879 candidates, the BJP has fielded 345 candidates, the highest among all political parties. The opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI-M, has submitted nominations for 263 candidates, while the Congress has fielded 221 candidates. The BJP’s ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), has nominated 15 candidates. Another 35 candidates are contesting as Independents.
However, the nomination figures have also highlighted the absence of opposition candidates in five municipal bodies. In Kamalpur municipality in Dhalai district, Santir Bazar municipality in South Tripura district, and Ranir Bazar, Jirania and Mohanpur municipal bodies in West Tripura district, no opposition party candidates filed nomination papers. Consequently, the BJP remains the only party in the electoral contest in these five civic bodies, subject to the completion of the scrutiny process.
The situation has triggered allegations from opposition parties. Leaders of the CPI-M and Congress claimed that candidates intending to contest against the ruling BJP were threatened and intimidated by people they described as ruling party supporters. They further alleged that proposers of opposition candidates were also threatened to prevent them from participating in the electoral process.
The allegations have brought attention to the political atmosphere surrounding the upcoming civic elections. However, these claims were made by opposition leaders and have not been independently established in the information provided by the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, the SEC has reported that a total of 6,29,903 voters are eligible to participate in the November 27 elections across the 21 Urban Local Bodies. The electorate includes 3,21,743 women, 3,08,115 men and 45 third-gender voters.
The elections will cover a total of 345 seats across the state’s 21 urban local bodies. The Agartala Municipal Corporation alone accounts for 51 seats, making it one of the key centres of the electoral contest.
Of the 345 seats, 162 have been reserved for women. Additionally, 80 seats have been reserved for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs), while nine seats have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs), in accordance with the prescribed reservation arrangements.
The counting of votes is scheduled for December 2, five days after polling. The results will determine the composition of the municipal bodies for the upcoming term.
The SEC official also informed that the terms of all 21 Urban Local Bodies, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation, are scheduled to expire on December 9.
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With nomination filing completed, attention will now shift to scrutiny, withdrawal of candidatures and preparations for polling. The November 27 civic elections are expected to be an important political contest for the ruling BJP and opposition parties, particularly in urban areas across Tripura.
The final list of eligible candidates following scrutiny and withdrawal will determine the scale of the electoral contest in each of the 21 urban local bodies.
