Tripura civic polls: BJP says candidates ready for 21 urban bodies

The Tripura BJP has finalised its candidates for the coming urban local body (ULB) elections and will announce them once the poll schedule is declared, state party president Abhishek Debroy said in Agartala.

Debroy spoke after a meeting of the party's core committee on Tuesday, October 27. The BJP is preparing to contest all 21 urban local bodies, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation, and he said he was confident of winning every one.

Who attended

Chief Minister Manik Saha, BJP national general secretary and former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, the party's North East coordinator Sambit Patra, Tripura in-charge Mriganka Debbarma and other core committee members attended. Debroy said the meeting reviewed organisational work, election preparations and campaign strategy.

SIR row

Debroy criticised opposition parties for objecting to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and accused them of misleading people about the exercise. The SIR is the Election Commission's exercise to verify voter lists, and it has drawn objections from opposition parties in several states. Debroy argued that roll revisions had been carried out in the past, including under CPI(M) and Congress governments, citing 1995 and 2004.

He also accused the opposition of trying to create unrest for political gain. Tripurainfo, which reported his remarks, said no response from the opposition was available.

Debroy said the BJP would take part in a protest planned for October 31 over the controversy around the electoral roll revision.

The protest is the party's response to the dispute over the roll revision, which has become a central issue in the state's politics ahead of the civic polls.

Tribal council polls next

The party has also started preparing for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, Debroy said, and the core committee discussed strategy for those polls as well.

What's next

The State Election Commission has not yet announced dates for the ULB elections. The BJP, which governs Tripura, has said it is aiming to win every municipal body.