Opposition Allegedly Barred from All-Party Meeting in Jirania, Political Tensions Rise Ahead of Civic Polls
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, October 31, 2026
Allegations of political intimidation and obstruction have surfaced in Tripura following the announcement of elections to 21 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), with opposition representatives reportedly prevented from attending an all-party meeting at the Jirania Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office on Friday.
The incident has triggered fresh concerns over the conduct of the upcoming civic elections and the ability of opposition parties to carry out political activities freely in the state.
Jirania falls under the Assembly constituency represented by state Minister Sushanta Chowdhury. Notably, former minister and present Left Front convenor Manik Dey also belongs to the same area. Opposition sources alleged that since the BJP came to power in 2018, Dey has faced considerable difficulties in visiting his constituency and participating in political and social activities.
According to opposition allegations, BJP-backed workers occupied the conference hall at the Jirania SDM's office ahead of the scheduled all-party meeting, allegedly preventing representatives of rival political parties from entering the venue.
The meeting had been convened by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate at 4 pm on Friday to discuss election-related arrangements following the announcement of the ULB election schedule.
Opposition sources further alleged that groups of ruling-party workers assembled at several locations across the subdivision and created barriers to obstruct opposition representatives from reaching the meeting.
Block Congress president Keshab Sarkar was reportedly prevented from attending the meeting. Left Front representatives also allegedly faced difficulties reaching the venue and participating in the discussions.
Opposition leaders accused the ruling party of undermining the democratic process by obstructing political representatives from attending an official meeting convened by the administration. They also questioned the neutrality of the local administration and police in ensuring equal participation by all political parties.
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