Tripura: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured 77 seats unopposed ahead of the November 27 Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Tripura. Following the conclusion of the nomination withdrawal process on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, State Election Commissioner P.K. Chakraborty officially declared the final candidate roster, revealing a deeply fractured and controversial electoral landscape.
The uncontested clean sweep has triggered a massive political storm. The principal opposition parties, CPI(M) and Congress, have leveled severe allegations of armed intimidation, candidate abductions, and forced nomination withdrawals against the ruling dispensation.
According to data released by the State Election Commission (SEC), the BJP registered a complete walkover across 65 seats in five distinct municipal bodies. These include Kamalpur in the Dhalai district, Santir Bazar in South Tripura, and Ranir Bazar, Jirania, and Mohanpur in West Tripura, where zero opposition papers remained. The party picked up an additional 12 unopposed seats scattered across Ambassa, Teliamura, and Bishalgarh.
CPI(M) Tripura State Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Jitendra Chaudhury, strongly condemned the developments, accusing the ruling party of deploying violent tactics. He alleged that "ruling party goons" used firearms to raid opposition candidates’ homes and physically forced them to sign withdrawal notices. Chaudhury stated that a string of violent cross-district incidents left over 20 Left Front members and leaders injured.
Compounding the opposition’s frustration, senior CPI(M) leader Anjan Das stated during a press conference in Agartala, "It was clear that Left Front candidates were set to win in all 15 wards. That was the real cause of fear for the ruling party." He further claimed that the ongoing "brutality by the ruling party... will turn into a blessing for the Left Front" as public backlash builds at the ballot.
State Election Commissioner Chakraborty dismissed the opposition's complaints regarding forced coercion—particularly inside the Ambassa Municipal Council—declaring them legally "baseless" after review.
With 77 seats already decided in the 345-ward map, a final pool of 810 candidates will battle for the remaining 268 contested seats. All eyes now turn to the state capital, Agartala, where a fierce triangular contest awaits on November 27, with the counting of votes slated for December 2, 2026.