Tripura CPI-M holds on to rural bastion in panchayat polls

The ruling CPI-M in Tripura Friday retained its rural bastion by securing absolute majority in 275 of the 591 gram panchayats and 12 of the 35 panchayat samitis, for which polls were held Tuesday.

Results of zilla parishad polls are awaited as counting of ballots is in progress in different parts of the state amid tight security.

An official of the state election commission said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for the first time, secured a majority in one gram panchayat and won many seats in several other gram panchayats and panchayat samitis.

According to the results available so far, the main opposition Congress performed poorly in the polls, securing a majority in only 10 gram panchayats.

"The CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) has secured absolute majority in 275 of the 591 gram panchayats and 12 of the 35 panchayat samitis. The party also won four seats in different zilla parishads," the official added.

Over 90 percent of the 1.1 million electors Tuesday cast their votes in the election to the three-tier gram panchayats in Left-ruled Tripura, deciding the political fate of 13,754 candidates, half of whom are women.

For the first time, 50 percent seats in gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads were reserved for women, state Election Commissioner Y. Kumar said.

Tripura currently has 591 gram panchayats (6,111 seats), 35 panchayat samitis (419 seats) and eight zilla parishads (116 seats). Voting was held for 5,129 seats in gram panchayats, 381 in panchayat samitis and 114 in zilla parishads.

Candidates backed by the CPI-M have already won unopposed 980 seats in gram panchayats, 38 seats in panchayat samitis and two seats in zilla parishads.

The NOTA (None Of The Above) provision has been made available for the first time on the ballot papers.

In the last election to the local bodies in 2009, the CPI-M-led Left Front secured a majority in 414 gram panchayats and in all the panchayat samitis and zilla parishads.