Over 10,000 candidates file nominations for Tripura village committee polls as Tipra Motha and BJP seat-sharing remains unclear. With 4,597 seats across 587 village committees, scrutiny begins September 9, followed by withdrawal, polling on September 28 and counting October 5.
More than 10,000 candidates have filed nominations for the upcoming Tripura village committee elections, but the seat-sharing arrangement between the ruling Tipra Motha Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains unclear even as the nomination process has concluded.
According to data released by the State Election Commission, a total of 10,958 nomination papers have been submitted by 10,936 candidates for elections to 587 village committees across the state. Together, these village committees have 4,597 seats.
The nomination figures have highlighted a significant difference between the actual number of seats for which candidates have been fielded and statements made by leaders of the ruling coalition partners regarding their seat-sharing understanding.
The ruling alliance, comprising the BJP, Tipra Motha Party and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), has projected confidence about retaining power in the village committee elections. However, the basis on which seats have been distributed among the coalition partners has remained unclear.
The Tipra Motha Party, which is the ruling party in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), has submitted nominations for 4,371 seats, according to State Election Commission data. The BJP, meanwhile, has submitted nominations for 1,974 seats.
The opposition parties have also submitted nominations in significant numbers. The CPI(M) has filed nominations for 2,484 seats, while the IPFT has submitted nominations for 486 seats. The Congress has filed nominations for 466 seats. Candidates falling under the “Others” category account for 1,151 nominations.
The figures have raised questions about the extent to which the BJP and Tipra Motha have reached a final understanding on seat-sharing. Party leaders and workers have reportedly been under pressure from local-level functionaries who have sought greater representation for their respective parties in the village committees.
Sources familiar with the discussions said the two parties were expected to arrive at a consensus by September 11, which is the final date for withdrawal of nominations. A senior leader familiar with the seat-sharing talks said several nominations were filed because of the limited time available.
“The nominations had been filed to cope with the shortage of time,” the leader said.
The nomination process has now entered the scrutiny stage. The State Election Commission has scheduled September 9 for scrutiny of nomination papers, while candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until September 11.
Polling for the village committee elections will be held on September 28, followed by counting of votes on October 5. The entire election process is scheduled to be completed by October 8.
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With the nomination figures showing candidates from multiple parties contesting across a large number of seats, the final contest is expected to become clearer after scrutiny and withdrawal. The BJP and Tipra Motha will also face the challenge of managing competing claims from their respective grassroots workers before the final list of candidates is established.
