With the Northeast Assembly results out and the “outcome” known to one and all, it was also apparent that the victory micchils (rallies as they call it in this part of the country) were not that boisterous. Gulaal was in the air the day the results were announced, but it was not the desired Rang Barse for the Saffron might, especially with the emergence of the Tipra Motha.
A recap of the last election results would reveal that the Saffron might may have maintained its winning streak, but the results will give you the Big Picture.
The Tripura Assembly has 60 seats. The BJP managed to get 32 seats and its ally IPFT one seat. CPM bagged 11 and the Congress just three. The Tipra Motha Party managed to get 13 seats and emerged as the second-biggest party.
However, the 2018 Assembly polls saw the BJP-led NDA win 44 of the 60 seats.
Politics is an interesting game
In Tripura there are around 12 to 16 seats with a considerable amount of mixed population and the tribal population in these seats roughly range between 20 and 30 per cent.
Taking a shrewd move this election, Tipra Motha jumped onto the poll bandwagon to garner the support of say around 8,000 to 10,000 votes in these segments thus denting the fortunes of IPTA and the Left heavily!
If you take a closer look at the results, the break-up will reveal that in 2018, BJP won 36 seats on its own and the IPTA bagged the rest to take the NDA tally to 44. With the emergence of Tipra Motha, all that is history “now”, IPTA has won in 1 while BJP, too, had to remain satisfied with a lesser score than last time.
However, BJP’s timely intervention and removal of Biplab Deb as its CM is seen as a masterstroke by the central leadership as political analysts believe that in the remaining few months to the run-up to the 2023 polls, the astute dental surgeon, Manik Saha, managed to scramble home with the pro-people schemes or else the mood of the voters with Biplab Deb around would and could have been different! Saha did well to not only stick to the wicket and keep the scoreboard ticking but also ensured that the Tsunami-like emergence of the Tipra Mohta could not pull down the fortunes of the Saffron might beyond this and maximum loss was inflicted on Left and Congress alliance that appeared to look as a strong contender (at least this time).
After the results, Manik Saha tweeted his thanks to PM Narendra Modi… “The landslide victory is the reflection of people’s trust in your development goals”.
THE EMERGENCE OF TIPRA MOTHA
Before the results were declared on March 2, 2023, the media was agog with speculations galore that Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma would play the role of a kingmaker or at least as a deciding factor. Now, that the results are out, it can be easily said that the thoughts were not mere fancies. Tipra Motha, was also projected to play a key role in the formation of the government in the state.
It was, however, a touch and go situation for Tipra Motha.
Tipra Motha had even rejected proposals of an alliance from the ruling BJP as well as the CPI(M). And after the results, Tipra Motha emerged strong especially for the battered IPTA and anyone with the slightest political acumen cannot politically ignore the Tipra Motha, now.
Tipra Motha alone won 13 seats. The two-year-old party proved to be a strong political force to reckon with in the tribal areas and was next only to the Saffron might.
The party fielded candidates in 42 of the 60 seats in Tripura. It may be recalled that the Tipra Motha chairperson Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma announced on the last day of the campaign in Tripura that he would resign from politics after the election and never seek votes as ‘Bubagra’ (the king).
DENTING THE IPTA
The party’s demand for a Greater Tripaland consolidated its grip over the tribals and it sounded a death knell of sorts and led to large-scale desertions from IPFT to its ranks.
(Robin Roy is a Senior Journalist and Former Senior Associate
Editor, Herald)
