Debbarma-led party strengthens hold in tribal areas; BJP wins four, Congress and CPI(M) draw blank
Agartala: The Tipra Motha Party (TMP) registered a decisive victory in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, winning 24 out of 28 seats, according to results announced on April 17. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured the remaining four seats, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Indian National Congress failed to open their accounts for the second consecutive time.
Led by Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, the party has now recorded its second straight win in the council, consolidating its position as the dominant force in tribal politics. Notably, the TTAADC governs nearly 70 per cent of Tripura’s land area and represents around 1.5 million people, making the outcome politically significant.
Although allies in the state government, the BJP and Tipra Motha contested the elections separately. Reacting to the results, Debbarma said the mandate was driven by “love, not hate,” and called for unity and peaceful coexistence. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manik Saha congratulated the winning candidates and described the outcome as a “learning opportunity” for his party.
The elections, held on April 12, recorded a high voter turnout of 83.5 per cent, surpassing the previous cycle. A total of 173 candidates were in the fray, with Tipra Motha significantly improving on its 2021 tally.
Opposition leaders, including Jitendra Choudhury, acknowledged the trend but noted the scale of the victory was unexpected, while Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman pointed to internal divisions within the BJP.
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