Tripura is all set for the ensuing three-tier panchayat by-elections for the seats that felt vacant with last date for filing nomination scheduled for September 30.
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The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is fighting all the poll-bound seats while other parties are in fray have not been able to file nomination for all of them.
There are altogether 3207 vacant seats in the gram panchayats and BJP has put up nominations for all of them.
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The opposition Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M) could manage to file nomination for only 115 panchayat seats while Congress has put up candidates for 120 seats.
The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), who is in alliance with the BJP in the government has lately soured its ties with its senior partner in the ruling coalition, has put up nominations for only 63 panchayat seats while there are only six independents in the fray.
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Out of altogether 161 panchayat samity seats, the BJP has put up nominees for all the seats, while CPI(M) and IPFT have filed nominations for only eight and six seats .
Congress has also put up nominations for six seats only.
Similarly, for the 18 zilla parishad seats, the ruling BJP has put up candidates for all seats, but opposition CPI-M could file nominations only one seat.
Ironically, there is no IPFT candidate for the zilla parishad seats.
Lately, all the opposition parties have been crying foul over alleged large-scale interceptions by BJP workers preventing the opposition candidates from filing nominations.
Reports of widespread violence have also come in from various corners of the State, where BJP workers have forcibly prevented opposition candidates from filing nomination papers.