Will Tripura Create ‘History’ or Go for Change? A Precursor for the Next Lok Sabha Polls in the Region

A Three-Cornered Poll Battle for the Northeastern State

On February 16, 2023, the elections were held in Tripura to elect all 60 members of its Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes and the results will be declared on March 2, 2023.

In a first major elections of 2023, a three-cornered poll battle was witnessed in Tripura between the BJP-IPFT combine, the Left-Congress alliance and the newly floated regional party, the Tipra Motha party of Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma.

A Big Test for the Incumbent

The elections in Tripura are a big test for ruling BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. BJP is facing stiff challenge from a two-year-old Tipra Motha party. During the 2021 tribal council polls, Tipra Motha party has won significant number of seats in the tribal belt.

In the 60-member Tripura Legislative Assembly, 20 seats are reserved for tribal areas, which makes Tipra Motha party a strong player to corner a majority of seats in this region.

In the past few months, BJP’s key tribal ally IPFT is facing strong desertions, with many of its leaders leaving the party and joining the rival parties.

Many Top Leaders Are Contesting

In this election, the current Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Saha is the BJP candidate from the Town Bardowali constituency. Another important member of BJP, the Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik is contesting from Dhanpur seat.

The state secretary of CPI(M) Jitendra Chaudhury, who is considered as the face of the Left-Congress combine, is contesting from the Sabroom assembly seat. The supremo of Tipra Motha party Deb Barma is not contesting any seats.

Promise of Development and Regional Growth

The ruling BJP campaigned on the poll plank of development and it highlighted on work being carried out by the present government in the northeastern state in the last five years.

On the other hand, the Left Front and the Congress combine is stressing on total misrule and misgovernance by the BJP-led government. Deb Barma’s party is contesting on its demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’.

2018 Polls Created History

In the previous assembly elections, the BJP created history by ending the 25-year-old Left Front government in Tripura. In the 2018 polls, BJP won 36 assembly seats while its ally IPFT won 8 seats.

Presence of Security Forces for Free and Fair Elections

For the 2023 assembly elections, the voting was held under tight security from 7 am to 4 pm at 3,337 polling stations. Chief Electoral Officer Gitte Kirankumar Dinakarrao has said that this time, 1,100 polling stations were identified as sensitive and 28 were considered critical.

The international and inter-state borders were closed during the assembly elections to prevent any potential trouble makers from entering the state.

March 2 Deciding the Fate of Candidates

The voters have cast their votes and, on March 2, the results will show whether the people have trust in the development work of the current regime and they are happy with it, or they will go for the Left-Congress front, or they will choose the new regional party.