BJP in Tripura sweeps assembly election with absolute majority; TIPRA Motha draws set back for Left-Congress
Mar 02, 2023
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power in the states of Tripura securing absolute majority for the second term in a row in the state’s assembly election leaving the TIPRA Motha regional party drawing a setback for the Left-Congress.
The BJP had won in 32 seats while the party’s junior partner IPFT swept one seat in this election. The TIPRA Motha won in 13 seats and the opposition Left-Congress alliance won 14 seats, a disappointing performance considering both parties had claimed they would register victory.
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who won the elections from Town Bardowali Assembly constituency against his tough contestant Ashish Kumar Saha from Congress party, on Thursday said that the saffron party-led government will continue to work for the state's development across all sectors.
"Elections in Tripura was so far a direct fight between two parties. But this is for the first time, a triangular fight was witnessed in the state," he told reporters.
Dr. Saha secured 18731 votes while his opposition candidate from Congress – Ashish Kumar Saha secured 17551.
While the BJP-led alliance's tally has dropped by more than 10 seats, the party's seat count has marginally dropped from 36 to 33. It is ally IPFT (Indigenous People's Front of Tripura) that has been routed in this election, winning just one seat as compared to eight in 2018. The IPFT's dismal show points to a shift of tribal votes to TIPRA Motha.
The BJP had earlier before the election reached out to TIPRA Motha, but the talks fell through over the tribal-dominated party's statehood demand.