Despite attacks, intimidation, threats and attempts to prevent the Left Front from contesting, the CPI(M)-led Left Front has registered a significant increase in its vote share in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) village committee elections. The results have also exposed the limitations of the ruling BJP and its allies in expanding their support base, even after contesting the polls jointly.

The village committee elections, held on September 28, have shown that the CPI(M)'s electoral strength in the tribal areas has increased substantially within just five months. The party polled 12.90 per cent of the votes, compared to a little over 9 per cent in the April 12 elections to the 28-member ADC. This represents an increase of nearly four percentage points. If the votes secured by CPI(M)-supported independents are taken into account, the Left's actual vote share would be higher.

The Left has achieved this despite being denied the opportunity to contest in 1,643 seats, where its candidates were prevented from filing nominations. Had the party been allowed to contest these seats, its vote share would have been considerably higher.

In contrast, the Tipra Motha’s vote share fell sharply. From 57.62 per cent in the April ADC elections, it declined to 46.76 per cent in the village committee polls — a fall of nearly 11 percentage points. The BJP, despite fighting the election in alliance with Tipra Motha and IPFT, failed to register any significant improvement. Its vote share remained around 28 per cent, virtually unchanged from the ADC election.

The results therefore point to a growing electoral space for the Left despite the concerted efforts of the ruling alliance to suppress its political presence in the tribal areas.

Left Wins Five Village Committees

There has also been a discrepancy in the official announcement regarding the number of village committees won by the CPI(M).

The State Election Commission announced that the CPI(M) had secured a majority in two village committees. However, results declared by the respective Returning Officers establish that the CPI(M) has won a majority in three village committees — Uttam Joypara in Damchhara block, Sholanala in Pecharthal block and South Chelagang in Karbuk block.

Together with village committees where CPI(M)-supported independents have secured a majority, the Left has control over five village committees.

South Chelagang, a seven-member village committee in Karbuk block, produced a significant result. The CPI(M) won four seats, defeating the BJP-Tipra Motha-IPFT alliance, while the BJP won two and an independent one. In Ward No. 4, the first count resulted in a tie. Following a demand for recounting by the CPI(M) candidate, the recount established the victory of the CPI(M) candidate.

At Uttam Joypara, the CPI(M) won four of the seven seats, with the remaining three going to Tipra Motha. In Sholanala, the CPI(M) swept all nine seats. In Bagaichhara, the CPI(M) won two seats while seven CPI(M)-supported independents won the remaining seats. In North Dhanichhara, the Left won five of seven seats, with two going to CPI(M) candidates and three to CPI(M)-supported independents.

The official results show that, out of 4,594 seats for which results were declared, Tipra Motha won 3,428, the BJP 859, CPI(M) 87, Congress 14, IPFT 33 and independents 173. The CPI(M)'s tally, however, rises further to 97 when CPI(M)-supported independents are taken into consideration.

Questions over Election Commission's Role

The final results have also raised fresh questions over the role of the State Election Commission.

The elections were held amid widespread allegations of booth capturing, bogus voting, intimidation and obstruction of opposition candidates. Opposition parties have alleged that the Commission and the police administration failed to act effectively against the ruling alliance despite receiving reports of violence and irregularities on polling day.

Similar allegations surfaced during counting, which began on October 5. Opposition leaders alleged that the ruling alliance attempted to create disturbances at counting centres and that the administration failed to ensure a level playing field.

The discrepancy over the number of village committees won by the CPI(M) has further strengthened questions about the Commission's functioning. While the Commission has shown only two village committees under CPI(M) control, Returning Officers' declared results establish three.

Out of the 587 village committees, the State Election Commission has announced majorities for Tipra Motha in 457, BJP in 94, CPI(M) in two, IPFT in two and Congress in one, while independents have secured majorities in 31.

The discrepancy has prompted questions as to whether the CPI(M) figure is merely a printing error or whether there is an attempt to understate the Left's electoral performance.

BJP Fails to Expand Despite Alliance

The BJP's performance is particularly significant given the three-way ruling alliance with Tipra Motha and IPFT. Of the 4,597 seats in the 587 village committees, polling was held in 2,950 seats on September 28. A total of 1,644 seats were won uncontested, including 1,561 by Tipra Motha, 81 by the BJP and one each by CPI(M) and independents. Three seats remained without a contest as no candidate was nominated.

Excluding uncontested seats, the BJP contested 1,771 seats but won only 778. The figures expose the hollowness of the claim that the ruling alliance has succeeded in eliminating the Left from the tribal areas. Despite the use of intimidation and the systematic denial of nominations, the CPI(M) has increased its vote share substantially.

‘Result Does Not Reflect People's Real Mandate’

Speaking at a press conference at Dasharath Deb Memorial Bhavan on Tuesday evening, CPI(M) Tripura State Secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said the results did not reflect the genuine mandate of the people. He said the result could not be described as a spontaneous verdict of the electorate, pointing to the violence, disturbances and irregularities during counting.

“The entire result is not yet before us. But even at this stage, the Left Front has secured nearly three percentage points more than the vote it obtained in the ADC elections four months ago,” Chaudhury said.

He stressed that the Left could have secured a substantially larger number of seats had there been no violence and disturbances at counting centres.

The village committee results therefore present a significant political message in Tripura. The BJP-led ruling alliance, despite deploying its organisational and administrative resources and joining hands with Tipra Motha and IPFT, has failed to increase its vote share. The CPI(M), on the other hand, has registered a clear recovery in its electoral support in the ADC areas despite repression and systematic attempts to keep it out of the electoral contest.

The results underline that the attempt to erase the Left from the tribal political landscape has not succeeded. On the contrary, the increase in the CPI(M)'s vote share within a few months indicates that the Left continues to retain a substantial political base and the capacity to challenge the ruling alliance in Tripura.