Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has expressed confidence that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win at least 90 per cent of the seats in the upcoming Village Committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Saha made the statement on September 24 while speaking to reporters ahead of the September 28 elections. The NDA alliance in the polls comprises the BJP, Tipra Motha Party and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT).
Village Committee Polls Scheduled for September 28
The Village Committee elections will take place on September 28, 2026, across areas under the TTAADC.
The elections cover 587 Village Committees, 2,634 constituencies and 4,597 seats, according to election-related reports. Polling will take place in the remaining contested seats after several seats were decided without a contest.
The elections have attracted attention because they involve an alliance between three parties with established political bases in Tripura. The BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT have been coordinating their campaign and seat-sharing arrangements.
Saha Predicts 90% NDA Performance
Speaking to the media, Saha said voters could expect the NDA alliance to secure a minimum of 90 per cent of the Village Committee seats.
The Chief Minister’s statement is a political prediction rather than an election result. The actual outcome will depend on the votes cast on September 28 and the subsequent counting process.
Saha’s projection applies to the NDA alliance as a whole. He did not provide a separate percentage prediction for the BJP’s individual performance.
The distinction is important because the NDA partners are contesting under an alliance arrangement, while individual parties will ultimately have their own seat totals.
BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT Contest Together
The three parties have agreed to contest the Village Committee elections as NDA partners.
Saha has previously said that discussions took place at both the state and central levels to finalise the alliance arrangement. Leaders from the BJP and Tipra Motha also held discussions over seat sharing before the election process moved forward.
The alliance is intended to coordinate the electoral efforts of the three parties in the tribal council areas.
However, reports indicate that candidates from alliance partners are still contesting against each other in some constituencies. Saha has previously said that such contests would not affect the broader alliance arrangement.
Several Seats Already Decided Uncontested
A significant number of Village Committee seats have already been decided without polling.
Reports indicate that 1,630 of the 4,597 seats were decided uncontested. Tipra Motha secured 1,548 of those seats, while the BJP secured 82 seats without a contest.
Polling will therefore determine the remaining contested seats.
The uncontested results will form part of the final tally when the overall performance of the parties and alliance is assessed.
Chief Minister Says He Has Not Been Asked to Campaign
Saha also said that he had not been asked by the BJP to campaign personally in the Village Committee elections.
He described the elections as a village-level exercise and said elected representatives, party leaders and organisational workers were already conducting the campaign.
According to Saha, the party would inform him if his presence became necessary during the campaign.
His comments indicate that the NDA’s campaign is currently being handled largely by local leaders and organisational teams.
Campaign Focuses on Grassroots Areas
Village Committee elections have a direct connection with local governance in the TTAADC areas. The polls therefore focus heavily on grassroots-level political organisation and local issues.
The NDA partners have been working to coordinate their campaign across villages. Party representatives and elected leaders have been involved in outreach activities ahead of polling.
The opposition parties are also campaigning across the constituencies where contests remain.
The final result will provide an indication of the distribution of support among the NDA partners and opposition parties at the village level.
Earlier NDA Claims About Election Performance
Saha’s latest prediction follows earlier statements from NDA leaders about the alliance’s prospects.
Tripura Power and Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath had earlier said that the NDA was confident of securing between 90 and 95 per cent of the Village Committee seats.
Saha’s September 24 statement puts the alliance’s expected performance at a minimum of 90 per cent.
These statements represent campaign projections made by NDA leaders. They do not constitute independent election forecasts or established results.
Violence and Security Concerns
The election campaign has also seen reports of clashes and incidents of violence.
Saha said such incidents were undesirable and should not occur. He also stated that necessary measures had been taken and that violence would not be tolerated.
Maintaining a peaceful environment remains important as polling approaches. Security arrangements will be required across the constituencies going to the polls.
The administration and election authorities will oversee the voting process and related security measures.
Results Will Follow Polling
The Village Committee elections are scheduled for September 28, while counting is scheduled for October 5, according to reports.
The final results will determine how many seats each party wins and how the NDA partners perform collectively.
For now, Saha’s 90 per cent projection remains a statement of confidence from the Chief Minister ahead of polling.
With thousands of seats across hundreds of Village Committees, the election will be closely watched for its implications for grassroots political representation in the TTAADC areas. The results will provide the actual measure of support for the NDA alliance, its individual partners and the opposition parties once counting concludes.