Description
BJP went ahead in Tripura as the first clues started pouring in The outgoing BJP has taken the lead in Tripura as the first clues start coming in. The BJP, which currently leads in 39 out of 60 seats, appears to be heading for a comfortable victory. Tipra Motha, led by former royal Pradyot Manikya Debbarma, leads with six seats. The tribal dominated party, which is pushing for a Greater Tipraland, is seen as an x factor in this election.
The Congress-CPM alliance is currently in the lead with 15 seats.
The BJP won 36 seats in the 2018 state polls, ousting the CPM after a 35-year reign. Interestingly, the Left Party's vote share was only 1% lower than the BJP's, but it was only able to seal victory with 16 seats.
The BJP is competing in alliance with the tribal party, the Tripura Indigenous Progressive Front, or IPFT. But Chief Minister Manik Saha said they would rush to a majority without the help of the ally, like last time. The party had also approached Tipra Motha, but the talks broke down over the tribal party's statehood claim.
The CPM's decision to join forces with the Congress, its rival in several states such as West Bengal and Kerala, appears to be seen as a desperate effort to win back membership.
Over the past five years, both sides have suffered a massive erosion of their support base. The CPM contests 47 of the 60 state seats, leaving 13 for Congress.
