The Pradyot Debbarma-led Tipra Motha Party (TMP) on Friday registered a landslide victory in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, winning 20 of the 28 seats, according to the State Election Commission (SEC), marking a strong second consecutive mandate in the tribal-dominated council.
The result reaffirmed the party’s influence in the tribal belt, where it has steadily expanded its base since its formation in 2020 by the former royal scion, who has been spearheading the demand for a “Greater Tipraland” for Tripura’s indigenous communities.
According to the SEC, results have been declared for 23 seats so far. Of these, TMP has secured 20 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won three. Counting in five constituencies was still underway at the time of the announcement.
The CPI(M) and Congress failed to open their accounts for the second straight election in the council, which administers nearly 70 per cent of Tripura’s geographical area and is home to around 15 lakh people, underlining a continuing shift in the tribal political landscape.
“Out of the results declared for 23 seats, the TMP won 20 while the BJP secured three. Counting in five seats is still underway,” said Bipul Barman, Officer on Special Duty in the State Election Commission.
The polls for 28 seats of the TTAADC were held on April 12 and witnessed a high voter turnout of 83.50 per cent, marginally higher than the 81 per cent recorded in the 2021 elections. A total of 173 candidates were in the fray.
Also read: Tripura ADC polls see 83% turnout, re-poll on Apr 16
TMP’s performance also builds on its previous showing in 2021, when it emerged as the dominant force in the council with 18 seats and a vote share of 46.70 per cent. In contrast, the BJP had secured nine seats with 29.30 per cent of the votes in the last elections.
This time, however, the BJP managed only three seats in the results declared so far, even though it remains an ally of TMP at the state level. Both parties contested the council elections independently, reflecting differing political strategies in the tribal areas.
Reacting to the outcome, TMP supremo Pradyot Debbarma said the victory had strengthened the party’s responsibility towards the people. In a social media post, he said, “Love has won over hate. I urge those who have won to work for the ‘dofa’ (community), the state and the country. Ordinary people do extraordinary work. I appeal to everyone that for our ‘dofa’ and the next generation, there should be no violence in our small state.”
Senior BJP leader and minister Ratan Lal Nath conceded defeat, noting that sentiment-driven voting had tilted the outcome. “I had said the scope was thin if electors voted under the influence of sentiment. BJP is the choice if people want to vote for development,” he said.
The results are being seen as a consolidation of TMP’s dominance in the tribal areas of Tripura, with the party further entrenching itself as the key political force in the TTAADC, even as counting continues in a few remaining seats.
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