Following elections that took place in the midst of a bitter political battle between the Tripura’s ruling BJP and the Trinamool Congress, votes are being counted today for electing representatives of several civic bodies in Tripura, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation, or AMC. Here’s everything you need to know.

In the urban local bodies, there are 334 seats available, including 51 wards in the AMC, 13 municipal councils, and six nagar panchayats. 

Under Chief Minister Biplab Deb’s leadership, the BJP has fielded candidates in every seat and has already managed to win 112 of the 334 uncontested seats in the AMC and 19 urban local bodies.

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After 36 candidates withdrew their nominations, the remaining 222 seats were up for grabs. The BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, and the Communist Party of India, or CPI(M), fought the election primarily. 

The elections were “heavily rigged and reduced to a farce” by the ruling BJP, alleged the Trinamool Congress. In five AMC wards, the CPI(M) has also demanded this.

Nabendu Bhattacharya, a BJP spokesperson, stated that the party has asked its members to maintain discipline. “Party karyakartas were asked to follow the organisational tradition after the announcement of the results.” 

Throughout the state, there is a large security presence. Thousands of troops from the Tripura State Rifles and central paramilitary forces have been stationed in sensitive areas near the counting centres. 

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A series of violent incidents have been reported in Tripura as the Trinamool Congress attempts to gain a foothold in the state ahead of the 2023 assembly elections.

On November 22, Trinamool Congress leader Sayoni Ghosh was arrested and charged with attempted murder while campaigning in Tripura. A day later, she was released on bail. 

On election day earlier this week, opposition parties claimed that BJP workers intimidated their candidates by riding around on motorcycles. Not all voters were allowed to enter polling booths, according to the CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress. 

According to the opposition parties, gangs with their faces masked and wearing helmets went door to door warning voters to stay home. In a video posted to its official Twitter account, the Trinamool Congress claimed that a man in a black shirt was seen ‘voting’ for others.