Agartala, Nov 1 :The BJP and its NDA ally Tipra Motha have agreed to jointly contest the forthcoming elections to the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), other municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Tripura, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Sunday.
However, the two parties are yet to finalise a seat-sharing arrangement, with a decision expected by Monday night following internal discussions within the BJP.
Describing Sunday’s meeting between representatives of the two parties as cordial and productive, Nath said the discussions centred on contesting the urban local body elections together with all NDA constituents.
“Tipra Motha has submitted certain proposals regarding seat-sharing. These will be discussed at the party level, and a final decision will be communicated by Monday night,” he said.
Nath and BJP state general secretary Bipin Debbarma represented the BJP at the meeting, while Tipra Motha was represented by its MLAs Ranjit Debbarma, Purnachandra Jamatia and other senior leaders.
Tipra Motha had earlier expressed its willingness to remain part of the NDA alliance for the forthcoming civic polls after the two parties contested the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) village committee elections together.
Speaking after the meeting, Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma said his party was prepared to contest elections to municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state.
He said the party had submitted its seat-sharing proposals to the BJP leadership but declined to disclose the number of seats it had sought.
“We have demanded a respectable share of seats, particularly in areas where our party has an organisational presence and the possibility of putting up candidates,” Debbarma said.
He added that the allocation of seats among alliance partners in different municipal areas and nagar panchayats would be finalised after the BJP’s working committee meeting scheduled for Monday.
The two sides also held preliminary discussions on facilitating the filing of nomination papers by candidates of both parties on the same day, he said.
The final arrangement is expected to determine which NDA constituent will field candidates in different municipal areas and wards across Tripura.
Meanwhile, BJP Tripura Pradesh president Abhishek Debroy said the party would make efforts to contest the forthcoming urban local body elections alongside its NDA allies.
On candidate selection, he said priority would be given to young people willing to take up leadership responsibilities.
