People's Democracy

TRIPURA URBAN BODIES

Left Front Gets Massive Mandate

THE urban people of Tripura have once again massively reposed their trust in the Left Front government in the civic election held on December 11. The results of the Agartala Municipal Council and 15 Nagar Panchayats (NPs) were declared on December 14 amid festivity of the Left Front supporters throughout the state.

Out of the 35 seats in the Agartala Municipal Council (AMC), the Left Front won 28 seats and the Congress 8. Of the 15 Nagar Panchayats, the Left Front got a majority in 13 and the Congress in 2, viz. Subroom and Ambassa. In all, the Left Front bagged 187 seats (81 per cent) out of the total of 230 seats in AMC and NPs and the rest 43 (19 per cent) went to the Congress. In 5 of the NPs, namely Khowai, Ranirbazar, Sonamura, Santirbazar and Belonia, the Congress drew a blank, as all the seats were bagged by Left Front. The number of seats won by the parties has been shown in the accompanying table.

Of the 187 seats won by the Left Front, the CPI(M) won 180, CPI 4, AIFB 2 and RSP 1.

Congratulating the electorate for this verdict, CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar, in a press conference on December 14 evening, said it was a positive mandate from the urban people in favour of peace, progress and development accomplished by the Left Front government. At the same time, Dhar stressed that it was an expression of vehement protest against the anti-people policies pursued by the UPA-2 government at the centre. This mandate would no doubt give a fillip to the protest movement throughout the state, he said confidently.

Bijan Dhar also greeted the voters who voted in favour of the Left Front in Ambassa and Subroom Nagar Panchayats where the front suffered defeat. The CPI(M) would review the reasons behind this loss and take corrective measures, he informed.

Utilising its ruler at the centre, the opposition Congress party tried to mislead the people and resorted to distasteful individual slandering and misinformation during its campaign. The people, however, did not accept its perversion.

Chief minister Manik Sarkar also greeted the people, the election authority, the election workers and police personnel for ensuring the peaceful, free and fare conduct of the election where more than 90 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise. This indicates the high democratic consciousness of the people, the chief minister said.

Tripura Urban Bodies: Poll Results