Tripura Civic Polls: CPI(M), Congress Explore Alliance for 21 Civic Bodies

CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA: The opposition CPI(M) and Congress are considering an alliance or seat-sharing arrangement for elections to 21 civic bodies in Tripura, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation, expected to be held by the end of November.

CPI(M) state secretary Jiten Choudhury and Tripura Pradesh Congress president Asish Saha have indicated that their parties are open to exploring an understanding, although no formal discussions have taken place at the state level. The election notification is likely to be issued within the next two or three days, according to reports.

“There have been no formal discussions at the highest level of the parties so far, but leaders at the local level are already in touch and discussing the issue,” Choudhury said. Saha also indicated that the Congress would be open to discussions if a proposal came from either side.

The BJP currently holds a majority in all 20 existing civic bodies in the state, while the opposition parties have a limited presence. However, both the CPI(M) and Congress retain influence in certain areas.

The two parties had contested the last Assembly election in alliance, with both registering gains, but went their separate ways in subsequent elections and bypolls. Choudhury acknowledged some weaknesses in their earlier arrangement and said the CPI(M) wanted to address them to prevent a division of anti-BJP votes while protecting voters’ right to exercise their franchise.

Reports from different parts of the state suggest that local leaders of both parties are discussing possible seat-sharing arrangements based on their respective strengths and keeping their state leadership informed about local sentiments.

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