Tripura civic body polls counting today, BJP leads

Votes are being counted today for the civic bodies elections in Tripura, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party in Tripura, is leading in Ambassa, Jirania, Teliamura and Sabroom. This is the first civic poll the BJP is contesting after coming to power in the state in 2018.

The civic body elections were held amid fierce political battle between the BJP and Trinamool Congress. Trinamool is trying to make inroads into other states and Tripura is one of the states where the party has been increasing its political activities with eye on the 2023 Assembly polls.

Elections were held in 334 seats in the urban local bodies, including 51 wards of the AMC, 13 municipal councils and six nagar panchayats. The BJP has already won 112 out of the 334 seats uncontested and 19 urban local bodies. In the remaining 222 seats, 36 candidates withdrew their nominations.

The main contenders are the BJP, Trinamool and the CPI(M). Trinamool has demanded that the elections should be declared invalid, alleging that they were “rigged” by the ruling BJP. CPI(M) has also made the same demand in five AMC wards.

Counting is on amid heavy security deployment. Thousands of Tripura State Rifles personnel and Central paramilitary force jawans have been deployed.

There has been violent clashes prior to the elections, and Trinamool leader Saayoni Ghosh was arrested. She was later released on bail.