BJP & allies return to power in Tripura, Nagaland & Meghalaya; Modi thanks party workers

STATE TIMES NEWS

AGARTALA: In a big boost for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of next year’s general elections, the saffron party today managed to return to power in Tripura and Nagaland. In neighbouring Meghalaya also, the party is set to form the govt with NPP.
The BJP-IPFT alliance on Thursday returned to power in Tripura winning 33 seats in the 60-member assembly on Thursday.
In Tripura BJP returned to power by winning an absolute majority. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 32 seats with a vote share of around 39 per cent. Tipra Motha Party came second by winning 13 seats. Communist Party of India (Marxist) got 11 seats while Congress bagged three seats. The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) managed to open its account by winning one seat.
The Tipra Motha, formed by former scion of the state’s princely family Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, bagged 13 seats, while the Left-Congress alliance secured 14, with Debbarma’s party eating into the Left’s tribal votes.
The Trinamool Congress performed poorly winning none of the 28 seats it contested. Its vote share (0.88 per cent) came to less than that of those who stamped None-Of-The-Above (NOTA).
Though the coalition of the BJP and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) returned to power for a second time, both parties secured fewer seats when compared to their performance in 2018, mainly as Tipra Motha performed well in the tribal hinterland. The alliance had won 43 seats in the 2018 election.
The saffron party contested in 55 seats and won 32, three less than what it bagged in 2018. The party also secured 38.97 per cent of the votes polled. The IPFT, which was affected by a factional fight, managed to emerge victorious in only one seat, while it had got eight seats five years back. Its vote share this time was a meagre 1.26 per cent.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) lost power in 2018 after ruling the northeastern state for 25 years by winning only 16 seats last time round. This time they contested in 47 seats and won 11, with a vote share of 24.62 per cent. Other Left parties Forward Bloc, CPI and RSP – failed to open their account.
Fielding candidates in 13 constituencies, the Congress won three, bagging a vote share of 8.56 per cent.
The NDPP-BJP alliance bagged 37 seats in the 60-member Nagaland assembly, securing a straight second term in office in the northeastern state. The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the BJP emerged victorious in 25 and 12 constituencies respectively.
None of the other parties reached the double figure with the NCP and the National People’s Party (NPP), winning seven and five seats respectively.
While the LJP (Ram Vilas), RPI (Athawale) and the NPF equally shared six constituencies, the JD(U) got one seat. Independent candidates bagged four seats.
The Congress failed to win any seat in the state and secured a vote share of 3.55 per cent.
In Meghalaya, BJP has decided to support the National People’s Party (NPP). The NPP has fallen short by five seats to touch the magic figure in the 60-member assembly in Meghalaya. The party got 26 seats, while the BJP managed to win 3 seats.
Another coalition partner of the NPP in the previous government, United Democratic Party (UDP), won 10 seats and is set to join hands with the NPP again.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah thanked the people for voting for progress and stability, while the CPI(M) Politburo said the Left Front will work with renewed commitment and energy to defend the interests of the people.
“The BJP’s victory was expected We were eagerly waiting for it. Our responsibility has been increased with the decisive mandate,” said outgoing Chief Minister Manik Saha who came to the state’s top post in May last year replacing Biplab Kumar Deb.
“Thank you, Tripura! This is a vote for progress and stability. @BJP4Tripura will continue to boost the state’s growth trajectory,” Modi tweeted.
In a Twitter post, Shah said, “It is evident again that for development and prosperity, BJP led by PM @narendramodi is people’s preference.”
The CPI(M) Polit Bureau in a statement said, it “congratulates the thousands of cadres and workers of the CPI(M) and Left Front who, after braving the repression unleashed on them in the past five years, came forward courageously to conduct the election campaign and to reach out to the people, whom they had been deprived of meeting for a long time.”
The CPI(M) West Bengal secretary Md Salim alleged that the TMC fought in those seats in Tripura seats where the Left party had good prospects.