VC Election: BJP–Tipra Motha Joint Rally Cancelled in Santir Bazar on Final Day of Campaign, Questions Raised Over NDA Coordination
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 26, 2026
A proposed joint mega rally of the BJP and Tipra Motha Party in the Manai Pathar area of Santir Bazar subdivision, organised ahead of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) Village Committee elections, was cancelled on Saturday after BJP workers and leaders reportedly failed to turn up in the expected numbers.
The proposed rally had been under preparation since September 23 and was projected as a joint campaign programme of the NDA partners ahead of the September 28 Village Committee polls. However, the programme did not take place as planned, with the Tipra Motha side reportedly waiting at its party office from around 10 am until 1 pm.
Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma was present and, according to people familiar with the developments, expressed his displeasure over the cancellation. BJP leader Pramod Reang, who was expected to participate, was reportedly absent.
The precise reason for the BJP's decision to cancel the programme has not been publicly established. Local political circles, however, have raised questions over whether the cancellation was connected to difficulties in mobilising BJP workers for the proposed rally. This remains an allegation and has not been independently confirmed.
The development has drawn particular attention because the BJP and Tipra Motha have repeatedly described themselves as alliance partners in the Village Committee elections.
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has publicly stated that the BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT are contesting the Village Committee elections as NDA partners. Earlier, senior alliance leaders had also held several meetings to discuss seat-sharing and coordinated campaigning.
On September 20, BJP and Tipra Motha leaders held another coordination meeting and discussed joint campaigning at the grassroots level. BJP leader Ratan Lal Nath had said that campaigning would be organised according to local circumstances, including house-to-house visits, courtyard meetings, market meetings and smaller gatherings.
Despite those efforts, reports from the ground have indicated that joint campaigning has remained limited in several parts of the ADC areas. Earlier reports also pointed to difficulties in translating the alliance understanding at the leadership level into coordinated grassroots campaigning.
The cancellation of the Manai Pathar rally on the final day of campaigning has therefore attracted political attention. The campaign for the September 28 Village Committee elections ended on Saturday, September 26.
The episode is particularly notable because the proposed programme was intended to demonstrate coordination between the two principal NDA partners in an area where the alliance is seeking to present a united political front.
For the Tipra Motha camp, the reported absence of BJP workers and the non-attendance of the expected BJP leader have reportedly caused dissatisfaction. However, neither the BJP nor its senior leadership has, so far, publicly stated that the rally was cancelled because of an inability to mobilise workers.
The incident comes against a backdrop of repeated efforts by the NDA partners to emphasise their electoral understanding.
On September 24, Chief Minister Manik Saha said the NDA alliance was contesting the Village Committee elections together and claimed that the alliance could secure at least 90 per cent of the seats.
At the same time, media reports have documented instances of separate campaigning and difficulties in implementing joint campaigning at the grassroots level. The BJP and Tipra Motha have also faced situations where candidates from the alliance partners remained in contests against one another, despite the broader seat-sharing understanding.
The cancellation of the Manai Pathar rally today has consequently revived questions about how effectively the alliance's state-level understanding is being translated into joint mobilisation on the ground.
With campaigning now over and voting scheduled for September 28 across the TTAADC's 587 Village Committees, the focus will shift from campaign coordination to polling-day mobilisation and turnout. The reported events at Manai Pathar are likely to remain a talking point in the final assessment of NDA coordination during this election.
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