Sujit Chakraborty Agartala : , Nov 23, 2003 – The Tripura civic body polls on Thursday, 14 months prior to the assembly elections would present a test for three parties: the ruling BJP and the CPI/M led Left, as well as the new Trinamool Congress.While the Congress seems to be a nonentity, it is becoming more apparent that the Congress has become a nonentity.
The state of Tripura became a fully fledged state 50 years ago.For 35 years, the Left Front led by the CPI–M governed it (1978-1988, 1993-2018), and for the remainder the Congress and its allied parties were in power.The BJP has been the dominant political force since 2018, with the Trinamool Congress of Late trying to establish bases in Tripura.This led to a multi-cornered contest for the upcoming assembly and civic elections.
Amid the reports of political violence in the region and the intensification of TMC activities over the last three months, the elections for the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), which includes 19 civic bodies from Tripura, attracted attention nationwide.The Supreme Court, Tripura High Court and Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervened.J.P.Nadda, the National President of BJP, also participated.
The two major traditional political parties — the Communist Party of India – Marxist and Congress — have been slowly fading since the Bharatiya Janata Party won power for the first times in Tripura in February 2018.
The Left and Congress did poorly in 2019’s Lok Sabha elections.In 2021, the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council was elected.There were also three-tier Gram Panchayat elections.However, the opposition parties claimed “large scale manipulation and malpractices” by the ruling party.
On Thursday, six million urban residents, which makes up 27 lakh of the total state electorate, will be eligible to vote.All parties are compelled to make every effort to win because of the political importance of the results of civic elections.
Seven assembly constituencies are held by the BJP.They all fall under the AMC’s 150-year-old umbrella.
TMC Chief Minister Mamata Bangerjee of West Bengal has targeted Tripura and Assam to increase its base.This is in response to its electoral success at the March-April Bengal election.
Despite not having any heavyweights except Subal Bhowmik of the Congress, Prakash Das from BJP MLA Ashis Das, and BJP MLA Ashis Das from the Congress, the TMC is organizing political events over the last three months, supported by its MPs, Ministers, and other leaders from Bengal.
However, central BJP leaders Vinod Sonkar (party’s Northeast region in-charge, General Secretary), and Fanindra Nath Sharma (Central Observer Fanindra Nath Sharma) have been staying in the state over the past few days in order to lead the saffron party.
Sanjib Deb, a political commentator said that because there is a multi-cornered race in civic elections, the ruling party usually has an electoral advantage.
“The TMC, the newest force in the state, is still to establish its organizational structures throughout the state.There is not a heavyweight in Tripura for the Bengal-based party.”
Deb, the editor of an English newspaper in the area, said that “Except for a South Indian Party, no region party has yet achieved electoral success beyond its initial territory.”
After a series of electoral defeats, the main opposition CPI-M suffered another blow after two of its most prominent leaders — Gautam Das, state secretary, and Bijan Dhar (Left Front convener) — were killed by Covid-19.
The party named Jitendra Chaudhury, a tribal leader, as its state secretary to regain support among tribals.
Chitra Roy, a veteran political analyst said that Tripura’s Left-leaning CPIM parties aren’t as aggressive or active in regaining their political base.
Roy stated to IANS that the CPI-M, along with the Left parties, must recruit sufficient youths and women from tribal, scheduled and other castes leaders, and good organizers in order for the party’s political relevance in northeastern states.
She stated that Tripura politics requires a strong political base, both from the tribes and scheduled castes.There are thirty seats (20 each for the SC and 20 for the Tribals) in the 60-member Tripura assembly.
Despite allegations of violence and intimidation in Tripura by the various opposition parties, the ruling BJP was able to win 112 (34%) of 334 uncontested seats in the AMC as well as 19 other urban bodies (Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats), ahead of Thursday’s election.
The State Election Commission, which conducts the civic elections, stated that the BJP had already won a majority of seven bodies: Jirania in Jirania and Ranir Bazar in Western Tripura; Mohanpur and Bishalgarh respectively in Western Tripura; Santir Bazar in Western Tripura; Udaipur and Kamalpur both in northern Tripura.
According to the SEC, 785 candidates from various parties including the BJP and CPI-M-led Left parties, as well as the Trinamool Congress (and the Congress) are now vying for 222 of the 222 available seats.
On November 28, the votes will be tallied.
Sujit Chakraborty may be reached at sujit.c@ians.in
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