Tripura Village Committee Elections: Tipra Motha Dominates Amid Violence

Election Results Overview

Agartala, Oct 6: The alliance of BJP, Tipra Motha, and IPFT secured a total of 4,320 seats in the Village Committee elections in Tripura, with the counting process concluding on Tuesday amidst reports of violence, including the tragic death of Matilal Karmakar in Khowai.

Tipra Motha emerged as the leading party, winning 3,428 seats, while the BJP followed with 859 seats and IPFT secured 33 seats.

This coalition contested the elections under the NDA banner within the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) region.

Independents claimed 173 seats, while CPI(M) and Congress managed to secure 87 and 14 seats, respectively. The State Election Commission announced results for 4,594 seats, leaving three seats unfilled.

The elections, held on September 28 after a decade-long hiatus, saw a voter turnout of 81.21%. The SEC mandated repolling at three polling stations in two Village Committees on October 3.

Counting commenced at 8 am on Monday across 45 locations, including 44 counting halls, with approximately 2,000 personnel assigned to oversee the process.

While many counting sites reported a peaceful atmosphere, disturbances, including clashes and road blockades, were noted in various regions of the state.

The most severe incident occurred in Tulashikhar, Khowai district, where Matilal Karmakar lost his life following a confrontation outside Bharat Sardar Vidyalaya, a designated counting center.

Police and Central Armed Police Forces resorted to lathi charges after a group allegedly attempted to breach security barriers and approach the counting area.

Several individuals, including women, sustained injuries and were transported to Khowai district hospital.

Chief Minister Manik Saha stated that stone-pelting had led security forces to execute a mild lathi-charge, resulting in a stampede-like situation where Karmakar fell and sustained severe injuries.

Karmakar succumbed to his injuries while being transferred to GBP Hospital in Agartala. Saha expressed his condolences to the bereaved family, labeling the incident as unnecessary during the counting phase.

In contrast, Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma accused BSF personnel of using excessive force, claiming the party possesses video evidence of the incident and intends to file a complaint with the police post-mortem.

Tensions also flared in the Kathalia block of Sepahijala district, where Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Ipper Manchak's vehicle was attacked while he was returning from a counting center at Thalibari.

Local reports indicated that the vehicle's windows were shattered. Thalibari Class XII School was the counting venue for 37 electoral areas across five Village Committees.

Road blockades were reported near the center, with locals also noting that trees were felled and obstructed roads in parts of Kathalia.

At another counting site in Poly Bari, allegations surfaced that roads were blocked, preventing supporters of certain parties from accessing the premises.

Political leaders from various parties later protested outside Jatrapur police station, with senior police officials, including Sepahijala Superintendent of Police Bijoy Debbarma, present in the vicinity.

In Salema, CPI(M) supporters obstructed a road at Maharani, claiming their counting agents were barred from entering Maharani High School, where counting was ongoing. The party also alleged that identity cards belonging to its agents were confiscated.

Counting at Mandai RD Block in West Tripura encompassed 57 seats across 15 Village Committees and proceeded under the supervision of state police and central forces.

The counting process remained uneventful at Mungiakami, where Tipra Motha won four out of the six seats contested against BJP-backed candidates, who secured two.

Prior to the final results, Tipra Motha leader and minister Brishaketu Debbarma expressed confidence that his party would surpass 3,500 seats and that the NDA alliance could achieve around 4,000 seats.

Following the results, Debbarma thanked voters and winning candidates, stating the party's focus would now shift to fulfilling its commitments. He also mentioned it was premature to discuss the alliance's continuity until the 2028 Assembly elections.

Tipra Motha leader Pradyot Kishore Debbarman celebrated the results on social media, asserting that the outcome would restore power to the grassroots and hailed it as a victory for the community.