Agartala: BJP’s seat tally in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections fell to four from nine in 2021, but the party said it has expanded its footprint in the state’s hill areas on the back of a higher vote share among tribal voters.Tinku Roy, a senior state minister and BJP’s ADC election convener, called the outcome the start of a “new chapter” for the party, pointing to the rise in vote share in a contest BJP fought on its own for the first time in 16 years.Roy said the seat count fell short of expectations but argued the party’s support base widened. BJP’s vote share increased to 27.10% from 20% in 2021, when it contested as part of an alliance. Roy attributed the performance to CM Manik Saha’s campaigning across constituencies, saying it reflected growing public confidence rather than only a numerical gain.The election also reshaped opposition support in tribal areas, with Tipra Motha consolidating tribal votes and drawing support away from both CPM and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT). CPM’s vote share dropped from 15% to 8.87%, while IPFT’s fell from 11% to 2.20%, a shift that helped Tipra Motha emerge as a dominant force in ADC regions.Roy described the poll as a turning point for Tripura’s democratic process, calling it the first genuinely fair election under BJP rule in eight years. He contrasted it with earlier elections — 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls and other local and assembly contests — that faced allegations of irregularities, saying this ADC election was free and reflected public opinion.One factor shaping the outcome was the addition of around 36,000 Bru tribals from Mizoram to Tripura’s voter rolls after the Centre granted them permanent residency and voting rights. Tipra Motha secured support among these new voters in ADC areas, even as the BJP highlighted its role in resolving the Bru community’s 24-year refugee crisis.BJP’s tribal outreach has also been affected by internal decisions and external political shifts. Ahead of the 2021 ADC elections, Tipra Motha emerged as a challenger to CPM with subsequent political friction linked in part to decisions by the BJP’s central leadership. The party backed Kriti Devi Singh, sister of Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman, as a parliamentary candidate in East Tripura despite objections from state leaders and despite the presence of tribal leaders within the BJP.After 2023, tensions between Tipra Motha and the BJP sharpened even after they aligned ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Disputes centred on the Tiprasa Accord, with Tipra Motha alleging the Centre and the state failed to deliver on commitments tied to tribal socio-economic, cultural and linguistic rights.Another flashpoint was the demand to recognise the Roman script for Kokborok. Home Minister Amit Shah’s preference for Indian or Devanagari scripts intensified the dispute, which became part of the campaign by state BJP leaders, including the chief minister.BJP also faced pressure from repeated attacks on its workers in ADC areas over the past two years, including disruptions during Prime Minister Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” programme in Khowai. Despite these incidents and Tipra Motha’s continued criticism of its coalition partner, the BJP leadership took limited countermeasures, a stance critics said boosted Tipra Motha and hurt BJP cadre morale.State BJP leadership also came under scrutiny over the decision to contest the ADC elections alone, taken 21 days before polling and reported to have lacked support among most state leaders and ministers. The late pivot left Manik Saha and three other ministers to lead much of the campaign, while the absence of senior national BJP leaders further weakened the party’s response to Tipra Motha’s growing influence.Tipra Motha capitalised on BJP infighting and perceptions of central disinterest, projecting itself as the principal voice for tribal rights and consolidating its position as a major force in Tripura’s tribal politics.
