Agartala, Sep 19 (TIWN): The CPI(ML) has called upon voters to defeat what it described as the BJP’s “politics of division and deception” and reject what it termed TIPRA Motha’s “politics of opportunistic compromise” in the upcoming Village Committee elections in Tripura.

The appeal was made during a press conference organised by the CPI(ML) at the Press Club in Agartala on Saturday. State secretary Partha Karmakar and other leaders of the party were present at the press conference.

The party also appealed to voters to support candidates fielded by the five Left parties, stating that strengthening grassroots movements around land, livelihood, education, healthcare, employment, self-governance, language and culture, and constitutional rights should remain central to the upcoming elections.

According to CPI(ML) leaders, the Village Committee elections provide an opportunity to place the everyday concerns and rights of ordinary people at the centre of local governance. They urged voters to support Left candidates as part of what they described as a broader movement for protecting land and livelihoods and improving access to education and healthcare.

The party also highlighted employment, self-governance and the protection of language and cultural rights as key issues requiring greater attention.

The Village Committee elections are being held across the tribal areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). Polling for the contested seats is scheduled for September 28, 2026. Following the withdrawal process, 1,630 of the 4,597 seats were reported to have been won uncontested, while polling is scheduled for the remaining 2,967 seats.

The CPI(M), CPI, RSP, All India Forward Bloc and CPI(ML) are participating as the five Left parties in the electoral process. Recent reports have also confirmed coordination between the CPI(M) and CPI(ML) for the Village Committee polls.

The CPI(ML)'s latest appeal comes amid an increasingly competitive political campaign for the Village Committee elections, with land, development, indigenous rights, employment and grassroots governance emerging as prominent themes among political parties.