Tripura civic polls a semi-final ahead of 2028 Assembly elections, says CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on November 13 described the upcoming civic body elections as a semi-final ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls, expressing confidence that the BJP would secure public support on the strength of its development initiatives and organisational strength.

The civic body elections are scheduled to be held on November 27.

Saha made the remarks while campaigning for BJP-nominated candidate Sanjay Saha in Ward No. 32 of the Agartala Municipal Corporation. Accompanied by the candidate, he conducted a door-to-door campaign across different localities, interacted with residents and sought their support for the party.

Speaking to reporters, the chief minister said he would campaign across the state wherever elections were being held. He said he planned to cover areas from Sabroom to Unakoti and Dharmanagar, adding that he had already begun campaigning in Dharmanagar.

Expressing confidence in the BJP's organisational strength, Saha said people continued to have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party. He maintained that the government's transparent functioning and development-oriented approach would play a significant role in the elections.

Responding to criticism from opposition parties, he said people were aware of the government's performance and could assess the work undertaken by the present administration.

Highlighting urban development, Saha claimed that significant changes had taken place in municipalities, Nagar Panchayats and other urban local bodies under the BJP government. He asserted that no previous government had undertaken urban development initiatives on such a large scale.

Asked whether the BJP was facing anti-incumbency in the civic polls, Saha said he had not noticed any such sentiment during his campaign visits. Instead, he claimed that people were largely satisfied with the government's performance and expected further development.

"I am not claiming that all the work has been completed. However, nearly 90 per cent of the people are satisfied with the government's performance. People have high expectations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and our government. I am confident that we will be able to fulfil their hopes and aspirations," he said.