The Tripura Pradesh Congress has accused the BJP of allegedly using political and administrative influence ahead of the upcoming Village Committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha made the allegations at a press conference in Agartala on September 23. He claimed that opposition candidates had faced obstacles in different parts of the state.
The allegations came just days before polling. The Village Committee elections are scheduled for September 28. Congress has also questioned the conduct of the election process and called for a free and peaceful voting environment.
The allegations made by Congress could not be independently verified.
Ashish Kumar Saha Questions Election Process
Saha alleged that the ruling side had continued practices that Congress had criticised during previous elections.
He also questioned the replacement of the State Election Commissioner shortly before the election announcement. According to Saha, the timing raised concerns about the independence of the electoral process.
The Congress leader alleged that the change could affect public confidence in the election.
However, these are political allegations made by the Congress. Available reports do not establish that the replacement was made to favour any political party.
Allegations Over Nomination Process
The Congress president also raised concerns about the nomination process.
Saha claimed that Congress candidates were prevented from submitting nomination papers in some areas. He further alleged that some candidates faced pressure to withdraw their nominations.
He said such incidents raised questions about whether all political parties had received a level playing field during the election process.
Congress urged the Election Commission, police and civil administration to ensure that candidates can participate without obstruction.
Earlier this month, the Left Front had made similar allegations. It claimed that BJP and Tipra Motha workers had obstructed opposition candidates during the nomination process in parts of West Tripura. The Left Front had also approached the West Tripura district administration over the issue.
Those allegations were also claims by an opposition party and were not independently established in the reports.
Congress Says Administration Must Ensure Free Voting
Saha appealed to the police and administrative authorities to maintain a peaceful atmosphere during polling.
The State Election Commission has already announced security arrangements for the elections. It has said that security forces will be deployed in sensitive areas.
The Commission has planned the deployment of 74 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, along with Tripura Police and Tripura State Rifles. Officials have also conducted area domination exercises and flag marches in different districts.
The Commission has directed district election officials and police authorities to maintain law and order and ensure access for authorised representatives of political parties at polling stations.
Village Committee Elections After a Decade
The upcoming election carries significance because Village Committee polls under the TTAADC are being held after a gap of about 10 years.
The State Election Commission has scheduled elections across 587 Village Committees. The polls cover 2,634 constituencies and 4,597 seats.
The final electoral rolls contain around 9.62 lakh voters. The election will use ballot boxes, while counting is scheduled for October 5. The entire election process is expected to conclude by October 8.
The long gap has made the election an important test for grassroots political participation in the tribal areas.
BJP and Tipra Motha Coordinate for Polls
The election has also seen an understanding between the BJP and Tipra Motha.
The two parties have announced that they will contest the Village Committee elections together. However, reports indicate that candidates from the alliance partners are still facing one another in some constituencies.
The BJP has also formed electoral arrangements with the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT).
The alliance has changed the political contest in the ADC areas. Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front are among the opposition groups contesting the polls.
Nomination Figures Show Uneven Contest
State Election Commission data released after the nomination process showed significant differences in the number of candidates fielded by various parties.
TIPRA Motha submitted nominations for 4,390 of the 4,597 seats, representing nearly 95.5 percent of the total.
The CPI(M) fielded candidates for 2,487 seats, while the BJP submitted nominations for 1,974 seats. Independents filed nominations for 1,251 seats.
The IPFT submitted nominations for 486 seats, while Congress contested 466 seats.
The figures indicate that TIPRA Motha has a much wider candidate presence across the Village Committee constituencies.
Several Seats Already Uncontested
A significant number of seats have already been decided without polling.
According to State Election Commission figures reported earlier this month, TIPRA Motha secured 1,548 seats uncontested, while the BJP secured 82 seats without opposition.
Together, the two parties accounted for 1,630 uncontested seats out of the total 4,597 seats. The remaining seats will go to polling on September 28.
The distribution of uncontested seats varies between districts.
The development has added another dimension to the campaign, with opposition parties raising concerns about their ability to compete across all areas.
Congress Intensifies Campaign
Congress has intensified its campaign ahead of polling.
Party in-charge and MP Saptagiri Shankar Ulaka has arrived in Tripura to oversee the campaign. The party plans programmes in several districts and has called on voters in TTAADC areas to consider its candidates.
Congress has also raised issues concerning tribal rights, employment, education, healthcare and the functioning of the autonomous council.
The party has questioned the implementation of several commitments made during the previous TTAADC election campaign.
Security Arrangements in Place
The State Election Commission has said preparations are underway to provide voters with a peaceful environment.
District election officers and police officials have reviewed security arrangements. Restrictions have also been imposed under relevant legal provisions in poll-bound areas.
Polling personnel are expected to be deployed across the 1,550 polling stations identified for the election.
The Commission has said its arrangements aim to protect voters and candidates while maintaining order.
Election Process Enters Final Stage
The Congress allegations have added to the political debate in Tripura ahead of the September 28 polls.
The BJP and its allies have their electoral strategy in place, while Congress, the CPI(M) and other parties are seeking to strengthen their presence in the TTAADC areas.
Congress has called on the administration to ensure equal treatment for all candidates. The State Election Commission has separately outlined security and administrative measures for the polls.
With voting only days away, attention will now turn to the conduct of polling across the 587 Village Committees.
The election will provide voters in the TTAADC areas an opportunity to choose representatives for grassroots-level institutions after a long gap. The conduct of the process and the participation of voters will remain key aspects of the September 28 exercise.