The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered a major setback in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections. In the recently held polls, the BJP faced a heavy defeat as it was limited to four seats, while TIPRA Motha won the remaining 24.
The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council reportedly administers nearly 70% of the state’s geographical area, which is home to around 15 lakh people. The BJP had set a target of winning all 28 seats and campaigned aggressively, but it suffered a significant defeat.
“We congratulate TIPRA Motha on their victory and humbly accept the people’s mandate. We see this defeat as an opportunity to learn,” Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said after the results were declared. "I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the karyakartas of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the ADC elections for their courage, hard work, and dedication," Saha wrote on Facebook.
TIPRA Motha’s victory is considered significant. The party has long been demanding “Greater Tipraland”, and this mandate could further strengthen its ideology.
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Meanwhile, the CPI(M) and Congress failed to open their account for the second time in a row. Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury said he had anticipated that the wave was flowing in favour of the regional party, but did not imagine it could be of such magnitude.
"Both Chief Minister Manik Saha and TMP founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma made speeches with communal overtones during the electioneering," he alleged.
Senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman claimed that factionalism within the BJP was one of the reasons behind the TMP's landslide victory.