Tripura has just passed one electoral test and faces another within weeks. Counting in the village committee polls of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council on 5 October delivered a commanding result for the ruling TIPRA Motha, which had won 2,803 of the 3,470 seats declared by the evening, about 80 percent. The BJP won 508, independents 93, the CPI(M) 40, the IPFT 16 and Congress 10. The tally shows the party’s deep roots in the tribal areas. It also shows how little room the others have left.
The count was accompanied by tension, protests and road blockades across the state. Violence and obstruction should have no place in elections to the grassroots institutions that matter most to people’s daily lives, and the authorities should investigate every incident. Where complaints of intimidation have been made, they must be examined independently, and no side should be assumed guilty or innocent in advance.
Dominant parties carry a special duty. A result as lopsided as this one gives TIPRA Motha enormous responsibility for village committees, which deal with local services, schemes and the everyday life of tribal communities. It should resist the temptation to treat the margin as a licence, and should ensure that the minority voices elected, however few, are heard.
The next test is the urban local body polls in November. The State Election Commission held an all-party meeting on 14 October to discuss arrangements, electoral rolls and security, a welcome step. Civic polls in places such as Dharmanagar, where reports list 32,546 voters, will show whether lessons from the village contests have been learned. We urge the Commission to publish clear security plans, to act swiftly on complaints, and to ensure that rolls are accurate and transparent, in light of the wider national debate on voter lists.
A democracy is measured not only by who wins, but by how the losers are treated. Voters, too, have a part to play. Turnout, calm queues and a refusal to be provoked are the best answer to anyone who wants to turn polling day into a street fight. Parties should instruct their workers in writing to avoid obstruction, and leaders should publicly discourage reprisals after results. If Tripura handles November well, it will strengthen the credibility of its local democracy at a time when elections elsewhere in India face hard questions. Tripura’s parties should compete hard, count patiently and respect the verdict.