Over 80 percent of the 6.65 lakh eligible voters in Tripura’s tribal areas cast ballots on Monday in the Village Committee elections, the first held in a decade. Polling began at 7 a.m. and officially closed at 4 p.m., yet more than 8,000 voters remained in line at 40 polling stations when the day ended.
The elections, conducted under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), were largely peaceful across seven of the eight districts. However, in Gomati district, incidents of violence were reported. Two people, one of whom was a Tipra Motha Party (TMP) candidate, were injured when unidentified assailants fired at them and were later hospitalized. A separate clash at the Gamaria school strong room left Superintendent of Police Anirban Das and other officers wounded.
Elections were contested for 2,950 seats in 587 Village Committees. Of the 4,597 seats notified, 1,644 were won uncontested and nominations were not filed for three seats. A total of 8,176 candidates from various parties vied for the remaining positions. The TMP secured 1,557 seats, or 33.87 percent, while the BJP won 81 seats, or 1.76 percent, uncontested.
Security was heightened with 15,000 Central and state personnel deployed across the districts, including 5,000 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) members and 10,000 Tripura State Rifles and Police officers. CAPF companies, along with other forces, were positioned at vulnerable polling locations.
Voting will be counted on October 5, marking a significant step for local governance in Tripura’s tribal regions after a decade-long hiatus prompted by Supreme Court directions.
