Agartala, 22nd September 2026 : Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Tuesday chaired a meeting of NDA partners, including the BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT, at Manu Dak Bungalow in Dhalai district to review preparations and coordination for the upcoming Village Committee elections.
Speaking at the meeting, Nath said the alliance’s objective was to ensure that candidates and parties opposed to the NDA and the development agenda of the state do not secure support in the Village Committee polls.
“The main intention is that those who are against the NDA alliance, against the people and against the development of the state should not get a single seat or a single vote,” Nath said.
He described the Village Committee election as an important exercise, particularly as it is being held after a gap of nearly 10 years. He also noted that, unlike many recent elections conducted through electronic voting machines, the Village Committee polls will be conducted using ballot papers.
“Village Committee and Panchayat elections are the most grassroots-level elections and involve a complex electoral process,” Nath said.
The minister said the BJP, Tipra Motha and IPFT had decided to contest the elections jointly as partners in the state government. He acknowledged that certain issues remained in the implementation of seat-sharing arrangements at the local level and said the meeting was convened to identify and address such shortcomings.
Referring to the alliance’s political strategy, Nath said the three parties had earlier contested the ADC elections separately as part of their respective strategies, but had now decided to work together in the Village Committee polls.
He contrasted the NDA’s development-oriented approach with what he described as the ideological positions of rival political parties. “We do not believe in such policies. We believe in working for the development of the last person,” he said.
Nath also urged alliance workers and leaders at the grassroots level to strengthen coordination and work jointly to ensure the alliance’s electoral strategy is implemented effectively.
The meeting was attended by BJP vice-president Tapas Bhattacharya, IPFT minister Shuklacharan Noatia, Tipra Motha MLA Paul Dangshu, and MDCs Rabindra Debbarma and Hollywood Chakma. Several district and local-level leaders of the BJP, IPFT and Tipra Motha were also present.
