Women are set to play a significant role in the November 27 Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Tripura, with female voters accounting for more than half of the total electorate and women candidates nearly matching their male counterparts, officials said on Friday.

An official of the State Election Commission (SEC) said that around 5.70 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the ULB elections across the state’s eight districts, with women constituting more than 50 per cent of the electorate.

According to the final electoral rolls for the 21 Urban Local Bodies, the gender ratio stands at 1,044 females for every 1,000 males.

The official said that a total of 810 candidates have filed nominations for 345 seats across the 21 Urban Local Bodies, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC).

Of these, 403 are women, and 407 are men, reflecting a near-equal representation of the two genders in the electoral contest.

The 155-year-old Agartala Municipal Corporation alone accounts for 51 seats, with 25 seats reserved for women.

Of the total 345 seats in 21 Urban Local Bodies, 162 have been reserved for women, while 80 seats have been reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and nine seats for candidates from the Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The Agartala Municipality, later renamed the Agartala Municipal Corporation, was instituted in 1871 during the reign of the erstwhile king Maharaja Chandra Manikya (1862-96).

The Agartala Municipal Corporation was officially formed on January 21, 2014, when the erstwhile Agartala Municipal Council was upgraded to a municipal corporation.

With ruling BJP candidates having won 77 seats unopposed in eight municipal bodies, polling will now be held in 268 seats across 16 Urban Local Bodies in the state out of a total of 345 seats in 21 ULBs.

The SEC official said that, as no opposition or other political parties had fielded candidates in 65 seats across five municipal bodies -- Kamalpur in Dhalai district, Santir Bazar in South Tripura district, and Ranir Bazar, Jirania and Mohanpur in West Tripura district -- all 65 BJP candidates had been declared elected unopposed.

This has enabled the BJP to secure full control of these five urban local bodies without a contest. Besides these 65 seats, BJP candidates also won 12 more seats unopposed in three other municipal bodies -- Ambassa in Dhalai district, Teliamura in Khowai district and Bishalgarh in Sepahijala district.

The SEC official added that following the conclusion of the withdrawal of candidature process on November 10 afternoon, a total of 733 candidates remained in the fray for the 268 seats in 16 Urban Local Bodies spread across the state’s eight districts, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC).

The Agartala Municipal Corporation alone accounts for 51 seats, making it the largest urban local body in the state. Of the 733 candidates contesting the November 27 elections, the BJP has the highest number of nominees, with 265 remaining in the fray.

The CPI (M) has fielded 228 candidates, while Congress has 201. The BJP’s ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), has fielded 10 candidates, while 29 Independent and other candidates are also contesting the elections.

The SEC official also said that the terms of all 21 Urban Local Bodies in Tripura, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation, are scheduled to expire on December 9.

Meanwhile, leaders of the opposition CPI(M) and Congress alleged that candidates belonging to opposition parties were threatened by “ruling party goons” and that their proposers were also intimidated and threatened to prevent them from contesting the ULB elections in the five municipal bodies and other places.

Many CPI (M) members and workers were also injured in different parts of the state after alleged attacks by BJP activists aimed at preventing Left party candidates from contesting the ULB elections.

The counting of votes for the November 27 elections will be taken up on December 2.