Tribal council poll result ‘not worrisome’ for BJP: Tripura CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on April 23 said the outcome of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections was “not worrisome” for the BJP, pointing to a sharp rise in the party’s vote share despite a limited seat tally.

The Tipra Motha Party secured a decisive victory, winning 24 of the 28 seats in the tribal council. The BJP managed four seats but increased its vote share significantly from 18.72 per cent in 2021 to 28.95 per cent in 2026. The TMP’s vote share also climbed, from 37.43 per cent to 54.95 per cent over the same period.

Addressing a press conference, Saha said the BJP contested the polls independently, calling it a first for a national party in the state’s tribal council elections. “The tribal council election results are not worrisome for the BJP, which contested the polls without any alliance,” he said.

He highlighted that the party’s vote count more than doubled, rising from around one lakh in 2021 to 2.18 lakh this year. “We are not frustrated with the poll defeat… we made attempts to win the hearts of the people,” he said, adding that the party had reached “every village in the tribal council area with saffron flags”.

Saha also questioned the long-standing reliance on regional alliances in the state’s political landscape. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) had earlier depended on its tribal wing, Gana Mukti Parishad, while the Indian National Congress had governed the council in alliance with the Tripura Upajati Yuba Samity (TUJS).

Responding to Opposition criticism over the sanction of ₹64.50 lakh for victims of post-poll violence, Saha said the funds were released from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. He described the amount as “meagre” compared to the scale of damage reported across several areas.

“The violence was pre-planned and unleashed to terrorise voters so that they don’t dare to vote for a national party next time,” he said.