Agartala: Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman on Sunday appealed to supporters of all political parties to maintain peace after the results of the Village Committee (VC) elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) are announced on Monday.

Debbarman said political differences should not lead to violence within the indigenous community, warning that clashes between supporters of rival parties could harm the future of the younger generation.

His appeal came a day before counting of votes for the elections held on September 28. Repolling in three seats across two VCs in Gamaria and Paharpur was conducted peacefully on Saturday, completing the polling process.

In a social media address, Debbarman said the elections would inevitably produce winners and losers, but violence against defeated candidates or their supporters would not represent a victory for any political party.

He said that whether Tipra Motha, BJP, Congress, CPM or IPFT emerged victorious, attacking those who lost would ultimately hurt the Tiprasa community.

“The person who beats will also be Tiprasa and the person who is beaten will also be Tiprasa,” he said, urging people to prevent political differences from turning into clashes in villages.

Debbarman said his appeal was directed not only at Tipra Motha supporters but also at those associated with the BJP, CPI(M), Congress and IPFT.

Referring to an earlier incident in which a Tipra Motha candidate was allegedly shot ahead of the VC elections, he said the incident had been attributed to different political parties.

He questioned what the community had gained from the violence, pointing out that both the alleged shooter and the victim belonged to the same indigenous community.

Debbarman also broadened his appeal beyond the indigenous population, saying peace was important for all sections of Tripura, including Bengalis, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists.

He said political parties should serve as platforms for choosing representatives rather than instruments for intimidating or attacking those who lose elections.

“I am appealing as an Indian, as a fellow Tripuri, a person who loves my state and my country,” he said.

Debbarman further urged parents and young people to ensure that children remained focused on education and technology rather than being drawn into political conflicts.

He said children should have access to education and technology instead of being exposed to political confrontation.

Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has arranged counting at 45 counting halls across 44 blocks on Monday. Most blocks will have one counting hall, while Manu block will have two because of the larger number of seats.

Counting is scheduled to begin at 8 am, with security arrangements, including the deployment of Central forces, put in place at the counting centres.

The repolling conducted on Saturday recorded a turnout of 91.59 per cent at Kunja Ram Para J.B. School polling station under Paharpur-IV constituency, where 392 of 428 eligible voters cast their ballots.

At Warenbari S.B. School polling station under Gamaria-II constituency, 413 of 502 eligible voters exercised their franchise, resulting in a turnout of 82.27 per cent.

Overall voter turnout in the September 28 VC elections stood at 81.21 per cent. Polling was conducted for 2,950 seats across 587 VCs under the TTAADC, while 1,644 candidates were elected unopposed before polling.

Meanwhile, Tipra Motha held a review meeting on Saturday involving senior party leaders, MLAs and TTAADC representatives to assess the election and prepare for the counting process.

Party general secretary and Minister of State Brishaketu Debbarma said the party’s internal assessment indicated that it could win between 470 and 500 of the 587 VCs. He also claimed that the NDA’s combined tally could cross 500.

The party said the assessment was based on feedback received from various areas and organisational units. Its representatives are expected to remain present at counting centres to monitor the process.

The final results will determine the composition of the 587 Village Committees, with counting and declaration of results scheduled to take place on Monday.