Jitendra Chaudhury Counters Ratan Lal Nath’s Claim, Says CPI(M) Fielded Candidates in Over 50% of ADC Village Council Seats

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 11, 2026

CPI(M) state secretary and Opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury has strongly countered the earlier claim of BJP minister Ratan Lal Nath that the CPI(M) would not be able to field candidates in even five per cent of the seats in the upcoming ADC Village Committee elections.

Chaudhury said the actual situation on the ground has proved otherwise, with CPI(M) candidates managing to file nominations in more than 50 per cent of the seats, despite what he alleged were attempts to prevent opposition candidates from submitting their nomination papers.

Speaking during his visit to several ADC villages in Rupaichari yesterday, Chaudhury claimed that the CPI(M) could have fielded candidates in all the seats had its candidates not been allegedly obstructed from filing their nomination papers. He maintained that the number of candidates who ultimately entered the electoral contest demonstrates that the party continues to have a significant organisational presence and support base in the ADC areas.

According to Chaudhury, nearly 99 per cent of CPI(M) nomination papers that were filed with valid documents were accepted after scrutiny. He said this indicates that the party had prepared candidates across a substantial number of seats and that the failure to contest some seats was not due to a lack of willing candidates.

Chaudhury also alleged that attempts were made to pressure some opposition candidates to withdraw from the contest. However, he claimed that CPI(M) candidates and supporters remained prepared to face such situations and continue with the electoral battle.

His remarks came amid continuing political friction surrounding the proposed seat-sharing arrangement between the BJP and Tipra Motha. Chaudhury alleged that despite talks between the two parties, candidates of both parties were still contesting against each other in several wards.

The CPI(M) leader said the developments have effectively challenged the BJP’s earlier assessment that the Left party would be reduced to contesting only a handful of seats in the ADC Village Committee elections.

“If our candidates had not been prevented from filing nomination papers, we could have fielded candidates in every seat,” Chaudhury claimed, while asserting that the CPI(M)’s presence in more than half of the seats demonstrates that the party remains a significant contender in the upcoming elections.

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