By Firstdespatch Desk Sep 21, 2026
Agartala, Sept 21 (FD) A senior BJP leader and minister on Monday said the ruling alliance would work to prevent the CPI(M) and Congress from gaining political ground in areas where they are contesting the upcoming elections, while acknowledging that the final outcome would be decided by voters.
Explaining the BJP’s electoral strategy, the minister said party supporters would be encouraged to back Tipra Motha in constituencies where the latter is directly contesting the CPI(M) or Congress.
“Where there is a direct contest involving Tipra Motha, the CPI (M) or Congress, we will manage so that our voters support Tipra Motha,” he said.
He added that in the limited constituencies where the BJP is directly pitted against the CPI(M), Tipra Motha had also advised its supporters not to vote for the CPI(M) or Congress.
The minister claimed that the CPI(M) and Congress lacked significant organisational strength in the state and were unlikely to make substantial electoral gains. Referring to the recent Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, he said the two opposition parties had failed to win any seats.
He said electoral success ultimately depended on public support and organisational strength rather than administrative influence.
“If people support you, the administration cannot stop you,” he said.
The minister further claimed that the opposition parties had limited support among younger voters and were relying largely on their traditional support bases. He said voters had witnessed successive governments and would assess the performance of the BJP-led NDA government as well.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the ruling parties could also be voted out if they failed to meet public expectations.
“If BJP, Tipra Motha or IPFT do not perform well, the people will remove them too,” he said, while maintaining that the present opposition parties had yet to build sufficient organisational strength to mount an effective challenge to the BJP-led government. FD JK