Panchayat Polls, Tripura: Ruling BJP Wins 70 Percent Seats Unopposed

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
• Jul 24, 2024
• 375

The ruling BJP in Tripura has won nearly 70 per cent of the seats in the state's three-tier panchayat system uncontested, an official said on Tuesday.

There are a total of 6,889 seats in the panchayat system, which includes gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads, and the BJP has won 4,805 seats uncontested, he said. 

In the gram panchayats, the BJP won 4,550 out of a total of 6,370 seats uncontested, meaning there will be no voting on 71 per cent of the seats.

State Election Commission (SEC) secretary Asit Kumar Das said that of the 1,819 gram panchayat seats where voting will be held, the BJP has fielded candidates in 1,809 seats, the CPI (M) in 1,222 seats and the Congress in 731 seats. He said that BJP's ally Tipra Motha has fielded candidates in 138 seats. He said that there will be no election on one seat of Maheshkhala Panchayat under West Tripura district, where the BJP candidate died.

"In panchayat samitis, the BJP won 235 or 55 per cent of the total 423 seats uncontested. Voting will now be held for 188 seats," Das said. "The BJP has fielded its candidates in all 188 seats, while the CPI(M) and Congress have fielded their candidates in 148 and 98 seats respectively. Tipra Motha has fielded its candidates in 11 seats," he said.

Das said the BJP won 20 of the 116 Zila Parishad seats uncontested, which is about 17 per cent. The BJP has fielded its candidates in all 96 Zila Parishad seats where polling will be held, while the CPI(M) and Congress candidates are in the fray in 81 and 76 seats respectively. 

The last date for withdrawal of nomination was July 22, while polling is scheduled for August 8. Counting of votes will take place in August 12. In the last election, the BJP had won 96 per cent seats in the three-tier panchayat system uncontested.