Ruling BJP sweeps Tripura civic polls, wins all AMC seats

Supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party dance as they celebrate the party's lead during counting for the Tripura Municipal Corporation elections. Credit: PTI Photo

The ruling BJP in Tripura registered a landslide victory on Sunday in the civic elections by winning all 14 municipal bodies, for which was polling conducted on November 25. The saffron party also registered a clean sweep in 11 municipal bodies including Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC).

In a statement on Sunday, Tripura state election commission announced that out of the 222 wards in 14 civic bodies, BJP candidates won 217 seats while the Opposition CPI (M), which won in all municipal bodies in the previous civic body polls, managed to win only three seats.

Trinamool Congress, which set its target to wrest power from BJP in the 2023 Assembly polls, won only one seat in Ambassa municipal council while it came second in vote share in AMC. The other seat was won by Tipra Motha, a regional party led by Tripura's Royal scion, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Devbarma.

Also Read | TMC's Tripura civic poll claims are hollow, results prove faith in BJP: Dilip Ghosh

BJP candidates were earlier declared winners in 112 uncontested seats. Elections in 222 seats registered 81.54 per cent polling on November 25.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to laud the impressive result on Twitter. "The people of Tripura have given a clear message - that they prefer politics of good governance. I would like to thank them for the unequivocal support to @BJP4Tripura. These blessings give us greater strength to work for the welfare of each and every person in Tripura," he said.

The municipal elections in Tripura witnessed a lot of violence with the opposition CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress alleging attacks on their members by workers of the ruling BJP.

In a statement, TMC said the party emerged as the leading opposition party, ending up with over 20 per cent vote share in the Agartala Municipal Corporation, Ambassa Municipality and Teliamura Municipal Council.

"AITC had a negligible 0.3 per cent vote share in the 2018 Tripura Assembly elections, began its campaign barely three months back and has now become the second-largest political party in the state. This despite the massive attack on AITC workers before the elections, the rampant vote rigging during the poll day, and unabated violence even on counting day. AITC workers have faced over 30 attacks by right-wing miscreants in the run up to the civic polls," the TMC said in a statement.

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