Tripura is all set to undergo by-polls for the three-tier Panchayat system following a resignation spree by office-bearers since March 9, 2018.
The polls are scheduled to be held on September 30.
The resignations took place in the wake of installation of the BJP-IPFT coalition government in Tripura’s seat of power.
Out of the total 6,111 seats, there are 3,207 vacant seats in the Gram Panchayats, and the ruling BJP has fielded candidates for all of them.
The three-tier Panchayat is part of the Panchayati-raj in India which generally refers to the system of local self-government based in villages and small towns.
The three-tier system includes Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayati Samiti (block level), and Zila Parishad (district level).
CPI-(M), the main opposition party in Tripura could manage to field candidates for a mere 115 seats.
Meanwhile, IPFT which is the coalition partner of the BJP has fielded candidates for only 63 Panchayat seats.
Meanwhile, Tripura’s ruling coalition partners have soured relations mutually and would fight the by-polls separately.
Congress has fielded 120 candidates for the Gram Panchayats.
Out of the overall 161 Panchayat Samiti seats, BJP has fielded candidates in them all. The CPI-(M) has filed nominations for 8 seats. IPFT and Congress have filed nominations for 6 and 8 seats, respectively.
As for the 18 Zilla Parishad seats, BJP has filed nominations for all of them. CPI-(M) could file nomination for only one seat. The IPFT has no candidate for the Zilla Parishad seats while Congress fielded 6 candidates.
The opposition parties have been continuously alleging the misuse of power by the BJP, which has led them to put up candidates in smaller number of seats.
On the other hand, BJP National Secretary Ram Madhav is scheduled to arrive in Tripura on September 16 to sort out the imbroglio with the ruling party’s ally, IPFT, as said by sources within the BJP’s Tripura unit.
