Tripura civic polls: BJP set to win 65 seats unopposed in five bodies

The ruling BJP and its allies are on course to win 65 seats in five Tripura urban bodies without a contest, after opposition parties failed to field candidates there for the November 27 civic elections.

Minister Ratan Lal Nath told reporters in Agartala on Saturday that no opposition nominations had been filed for those seats in Mohanpur, Jirania, Ranirbazar, Santirbazar and Kamalpur. BJP state president Abhishek Debroy repeated the figure on Sunday, according to United News of India, and said the seats were effectively won by BJP and NDA nominees.

The results will become formal only after the withdrawal deadline. The nomination window has closed, scrutiny of papers is under way, and candidates can withdraw until November 10, according to the State Election Commission's schedule.

'Someone has to question us'

Nath described the lack of opposition candidates as a sign of weak organisation among rival parties. But he also said that civic bodies with no one to ask questions could make those in power complacent or less accountable, Tripura Chronicle reported.

He said he had put an unusual idea to the BJP state president and Chief Minister Manik Saha: three or four BJP members in municipal bodies with no opposition, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation, could be given the job of acting as an opposition. They would be elected on BJP tickets but would then question decisions, raise public complaints and offer criticism inside the council. Nath offered to train them himself, with help from leaders who have experience of opposition politics. The party has not said whether it will take up the proposal.

The poll so far

The State Election Commission notified elections to 21 urban local bodies with 345 wards, including 51 wards of the Agartala Municipal Corporation. Voting is on November 27 from 7 am to 4 pm, and counting is scheduled for December 2.

Opposition parties have already complained about the nomination process. On November 2, the Left Front said some of its nominees were blocked in Khowai and Jirania and met the West Tripura district magistrate. Opposition parties, including the CPI(M) and the Congress, had not responded to the uncontested-seat claim in the reports seen by NEInsider.

Tripura has seen large numbers of seats go uncontested before. In the 2021 civic elections the BJP won 112 of 334 seats without a contest, and in the 2024 panchayat polls about 70 per cent of seats were decided without a vote.