With civic poll preparations gaining momentum across Tripura ahead of the November 27 voting date, the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee has officially announced its candidates for 49 of the 51 wards within the Agartala Municipal Corporation. Nominations for two specific segments, Ward 30 and Ward 35, have not been finalised yet and will be declared at a later stage.
Nomination List and Electoral Outreach
The formal candidate roster, dated November 4, was released bearing the signature of TPCC president Asish Kumar Saha. Speaking to reporters alongside senior Congress leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman, Saha stated that the party is actively preparing to field its contenders across Tripura's civic bodies.
Beyond the primary battleground of the Agartala Municipal Corporation, the organisation intends to field nominees across all wards of the remaining 15 urban local bodies in the state. However, the leadership noted an exception for five urban local bodies where party candidates would face obstacles in submitting nominations or running campaigns due to alleged intimidation by BJP cadres and supporters.
Status of Seat-Sharing with CPI(M)
Addressing questions regarding a possible joint electoral front with the CPI(M) under the broader INDIA alliance umbrella, the Congress leadership clarified that no formal discussions have occurred concerning seat-sharing formulas or a unified candidate list.
Saha acknowledged, however, that an informal interaction did take place on October 30 inside the Assembly chamber with CPI(M) state secretary and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury. During this meeting, both leaders reached an in-principle understanding regarding contesting the municipal polls together.
Ruling Party Roster Already Declared
Political momentum in the state has accelerated rapidly as major political organisations step up their ground preparations for the urban elections. A day prior on Tuesday, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party declared nominees for 45 out of 51 wards in the Agartala Municipal Corporation, keeping six seats, including Ward 12, reserved for later announcement. The BJP candidate list had been finalised during an extended core committee session held at the official residence of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha before being formally presented at the party headquarters.
