TTAADC VC Polls: Voting Begins Amid Heavy Turnout, Reports of Clashes and Pre-Poll Tensions in Several Areas
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 28, 2026
Voting for the long-awaited General Election after 10 years to the Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) began on Monday morning, with voters turning up in large numbers at polling stations across the tribal areas of the state.
Polling commenced at 7:00 AM. The election is being conducted through ballot papers. According to the State Election Commission, polling is taking place for around 2,950 seats across 587 Village Committees, while counting of votes is scheduled for October 5.
Long queues of voters were reported from several polling centres, particularly in tribal-dominated areas, as voters arrived early in the morning to exercise their franchise.
At Gachirampara Polling Station under Dashda RD Block in Kanchanpur Sub-Division, polling began at 7:00 AM and voters were reported to have turned up in good numbers. Officials said the polling process was proceeding peacefully and smoothly at the centre.
The State Election Commission had made extensive arrangements for the election, with security forces deployed across sensitive and vulnerable locations.
Meanwhile, reports emerged of a clash between CPI(M) and Tipra Motha supporters at Radhabasi Para in the Kakraban-Shamukchhara area. The incident reportedly created tension in the locality during polling.
Details regarding the cause of the alleged clash and whether any injuries or arrests were made were not immediately available from independently verified official sources.
Tension was also reported in the Pecharthal–Machhmara–Dhanichhara area on the eve of polling.
According to allegations circulating locally, BJP MDC Manju Rani Sarkar was allegedly stopped and detained by Tipra Motha workers during the night before polling. The incident reportedly followed allegations that the BJP MDC was distributing money or financial inducements to voters ahead of the election.
The allegations remain claims at this stage and would require confirmation but local police was reportedly control the situation.
Following intervention by Minister Santwana Chakma, Manju Rani Sarkar was reportedly allowed to leave the area amid a heavy police presence.
Notably, a large contingent of police personnel was deployed around the location to prevent further escalation.
The reported incident has also highlighted the tensions that have emerged at the grassroots level between the BJP and Tipra Motha, despite the two parties being alliance partners in the state government and having reached an arrangement for the Village Committee elections.
The two parties had announced a seat-sharing arrangement for the VC polls, but reports of “friendly contests” and differences between grassroots workers have surfaced during the election process. Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma had earlier called for dialogue within the NDA alliance to address disputes between alliance partners.
There were also reports of tension at Birchandrapara, where the political situation reportedly remained volatile.
Questions have been raised locally over whether the alliance arrangement reached by the senior leadership has been fully accepted at the grassroots level, with allegations from sections of workers that local-level rivalry continues despite the broader BJP–Tipra Motha understanding.
Police maintain close vigil
Against the backdrop of reports of tension from some locations, police authorities have maintained a strong presence across the polling areas.
West Tripura District Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak was seen inspecting different polling stations under West Tripura district and reviewing the security arrangements during polling.
The administration has deployed substantial security personnel to ensure that voters can cast their ballots without intimidation and that polling proceeds peacefully.
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