Out of 47 village committees (equivalent to Gram Panchayats) of tribal autonomous district council areas, 38 VCs were won by Left Front while Congress and its ally Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) got only nine. Left nominees were re-elected in by-polls of urban civic bodies in Agartala, Kailashahar and Belonia.

The victorious Left Front said: 'The result of the three-tier panchayats, considered to be the most important political organ in rural areas, has proved the people's will for development, peace and a strong democratic mindset.'

'There was little or no effect of national politics on the Tripura panchayat outcome,' a CPI-M statement said.

CPI-M state secretary Bijan Dhar attributed the success achieved to 'good organisational work of the Left parties and development programmes implemented by the Left Front government.'

'Opposition parties were rejected for their anti-development approach and anti-people policies.'

Congress leaders said they could have done better 'if the party was more organised and united before the polls'.